


Blood and Shadows

by totemwolfie



Series: Demons of Ironwood [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Demons, Fairy, Flesh eating, Gay Sex, Goblins, Horror, M/M, Magic, Mate bonds, Mating, Mention of Cannibalism, Monsters, Mythology - Freeform, Otherkin, Otherworld, PTSD, Sexual Assault, Torture, Witches, all kinds of gay stuff okay, destined mates, fey, fey courts, more tags to come, summer fey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-01-16 18:03:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 43,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totemwolfie/pseuds/totemwolfie
Summary: Jake’s life has been one filled with fear and torture, and he’s done everything in his power to put it behind him and live a normal life.  Then one drunken night with a gorgeous stranger changes everything, bringing up his past and his shame.  In order to get through it, Jake and Rax must learn to trust each other.





	1. Once Bitten, Twice Shy

**Author's Note:**

> The second book in my "Demons of Ironwood" series. You don't have to read "No Rest for the Wicked" first, but I would recommend it so you can get a feel for this world (and because it would mean a lot to me!)

“I’m looking for someone. I wonder if you can help.”

Rax cocked his head. He was sitting in a lush booth, opposite the owner of Club Envy. Like Rax, the goblin lord was hidden from human attention by magical glamour, but his eyes were still black and hollow. “I’m a bounty hunter. I’ll bring you whatever head you want. For the right price, of course.” 

Two hours ago he was on his way to a party in another hell-plane when he had been summoned to Ironwood City via text message. The goblin, who called himself Lord Novo, had a job offer for him. When asked why he chose him, Lord Novo had replied, “Because I heard you’re the best beheader around.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

“Of course,” the goblin said with a grin that consisted of far too many white teeth. He pulled a leather pouch from his pocket and dropped it on the table between them. In the lowlights of the club the gold that spilled from the pouch gleamed as brightly as the rings on the goblin’s fingers. “Half now, the rest upon delivery of the head.”

Rax arched an eyebrow. “I haven’t taken the job yet. And you haven’t asked any price.”

“That is Phoenix gold, demon,” Lord Novo scolded. He picked up a piece in his thin, pale fingers, and tilted it around in the light. The gold shimmered red and orange, almost as if it made of fire. “Worth three times more than normal gold.”

Oh, Rax knew what it was, and it made him suspicious. He leaned back and drank down the rest of his whisky. “So what’s the job?”

“You’ll take it?” The goblin asked while leaning forward.

“I want to know what I’m hunting first. For all I know you're asking me to bring down a dragon.”

The goblin grinned, but it lacked humor or brightness. “A witch stole something from me. I want her head.”

“What did she take?”

“That isn’t your concern.”

“It is if it can be used against me.”

“She took my favorite pet, when I wasn’t done playing with it.”

The words were like a knife. Rax had a feeling that cutting off the witch’s head was more of a mercy that she would receive if the goblin asked for her alive. “Tell me about her. Everything you can.”

The goblin tapped his long nails on the table. “She is called Meg the Cruel. She was excommunicated from her coven years ago for her taste of flesh and blood. She believe that by consuming the flesh of others, she would gain their power. I employed her for a time, until her lust for magic became too much, and fired her. Upon leaving she stole from me. Last I had heard she had fled to the Outlands, but that was twenty years ago.”

“Twenty years?” Rax asked with a frown. “Why hunt her down now?”

“She was seen in Ironwood. It rejuvenated my desire to see her dead. You are not the first I have employed, before she resurfaced I hired many others, and they all failed. Bring me the bitch’s head and I will double the gold I have already given you.”

Rax leaned back while he thought it over. He had heard once of a witch who has delved so deep into cannibalism that she had eaten one of her coven sisters alive. He tilted his head back and looked down at the goblin lord. “Triple the gold.”

He hissed. “Do you think you can take advantage of my generosity?”

“I’m not taking advantage of anything, Novo. I’m simply saying if you’re this desperate and this witch is that dangerous, then you’ll agree that triple is fair.”

The goblin drummed his nails on the table. “Then I want her head in a month. Take longer and the deal is off.”

Rax narrowed his eyes. “One month for triple the gold?”

“Yes.”

“Deal.”

The goblin smiled again, cruel and cold. “Wonderful.”

After they both signed a binding contract, Rax grabbed the leather pouch and stood to leave. The club was dark and ritzy, with gold highlighting everything from glasses to the heels the women wore dancing in cages around the spacious room. He spared them no looks, and he left quickly, eager to get out into the night and out of the building that smelled too clean for what he knew went on just beneath it.

He detested goblins. Hated everything about them. They ran an equivalent to the black market, dealing in everything dark and illegal; from slaves to ancient artifacts to body parts. He only dealt with them because their gold was always pure and they always paid.

He left the club, not relaxing until he was sure he had left behind any spying eyes. The night was young and the air warm and muggy; moths and bugs clouded around streetlamps and the traffic was heavy. Rax walked to his Harley which he had left parked two blocks down from the goblin’s club. He put the gold in one of the saddlebags and then straddled it. Rax pulled out his cell phone and made a note of all the information he had been given and to set a reminder for one month from today. He then sent a text to a friend who always knew someone who knew someone, asking for any additional informal on the witch, Meg the Cruel.

The last couple weeks had been rocky and insane, but now the world felt… lighter. Pegasus were in the world again, the Tree of Life was again steady and growing brighter. Skoll was dead and hell-planes were celebrating. He put his phone away and contemplated what to do next. He should start his hunt… he should go to the nearest coven and ask if any of the witches had seen or heard of Meg.

The bike roared to life, and Rax glanced back at the saddlebag. He did have a pouch of gold… very, very good gold.

Gold that could get him into any club or bar around Ironwood (and any other dimension.). He steered out into traffic, but instead of taking the turn that would lead him back to his hotel, he instead turned and headed toward an Otherkin bar. After all, what was the point of having this much gold and not having some fun with it? 

…

“Are you sure you don’t want to try?”

The one thing that Rax hated with casual hookups was that they almost always ended in this question: _“Don’t you want to bite me and find out?”_

Rax was a Blood Demon. Despite the name, and some nasty stigmas that still revolved around them, Blood Demons did not drink blood like vampires did. They were named such for the color of their skin, and the way they found their destined mate was too taste their blood, usually during sex. Once they found their mates, blood was shared, often and willingly, to strengthen the bonds between them. Both would benefit from sharing blood; everything from faster healing to increased virility. 

Once, in his youth, Rax may have attempted this lovely harpy he had just fucked in the back room of the bar, but he wasn’t interested anymore. The last person he had even thought about biting was Elijah, but thank Goddess he hadn’t tried that, because his head may very well be mounted over the fireplace after Elijah and Amon had mated and bonded.

Which reminded Rax why he preferred brothels over casual hookups. The males and females weren’t there looking for a mate, they never asked him to bite, they were there for pleasure and payment, and that was all.

“Sorry, dove,” he said as remorsefully as he could. “I’m here for a job and it wouldn’t be fair to you.”

As he left he thought about tracing to another dimension, but instead he found himself leaving the magical barrier of the tavern and walking to a human bar just down the street. Even with his glamour applied he still drew plenty of looks. His human disguise was six-foot-five, with olive skin, and long black hair that was braided with beads and gold clasps; he wore black and leather, all tight and flattering. Rax didn’t care how bad boy cliche he looked, because it did the job: intimidate foes and attracted potential bed-mates.

The bar looked rundown on the outside, with faded woodwork and paint, the sign that hung above the door was mostly burned out and the windows were all covered in black paint. But there wasn’t a parking spot available all the way down the block and he could hear the music blaring from inside, along with the heavy scent of dozens of humans. He stepped inside and found that it was pulsing with life and neon signs and obnoxiously loud pop music. Rax paused for a moment, eyes sweeping the crowd. It was pretty evenly mixed male and female humans, though he would guess more females by a few. As expected a younger crowd, probably almost completely early twenties to mid-thirties. 

Looking for a bed-mate in human bars always made him feel very, very old, because no one here was over a hundred. He felt very ancient when he spent too much time around humans, especially young ones like these.

However, humans could be fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he bedded one. Maybe a change of pace was just what he needed? No one here would be asking him to bite, and he wouldn’t have to worry about hitting on the wrong person and causing a fight from a jealous mate, and he wouldn’t have to check necks for scars. He made his way slowly to the bar, hunting as he did, eyes sweeping over the dance floor, the tables filled with humans talking, drinking, and playing cards or board games. When he stood at the bar he easily caught the bartender’s attention.

“What can I get you, gorgeous?” The woman asked as she leaned towards him.

“The strongest shit you got, dove,” he replied back with a sweet smile. She presented him with a bottle of vodka, which would do, and once he had his glass in hand he turned to look over the crowd.

He had planned on taking his time hunting the right prey, it was getting late but it was still a few hours until last call, but he found his attention immediately captured by a figure on the dance floor. Rax’s eyes locked onto the graceful sway of the young man’s ass; the shape of his hips and thighs covered in skin tight black jeans. The human moved like a dancer, each movement perfect and strong. He was perhaps five-foot-seven, slender but strong and graceful, with brown hair that was shaved on the sides and left long on top. There were faded highlights of color, blue and purple, along the tips.

Rax tensed, pants tightening as desire pooled inside him, boiling hot. He found himself straightening and crossing to the dance floor, when the group of humans stopped dancing and dissolved into a fit of laughter and giggles. His prey turned, laughing loudly and shaking his head, which made Rax growl in his chest.

_Pretty._ The human had strong cheekbones and skin flushed red from laughing and dancing. He was clean-shaven, and his skin looked almost too perfect. Rax would have thought he was Otherkin using glamour but all he smelled and sensed here were humans. His eyebrows were thick, one had a piercing; so did his ears, many, many piercings. His lips were pure temptation. When Rax caught his eyes he saw they were such a rich brown that they appeared black.

Rax felt heat rush through him. He thought he had fully sated himself earlier with the harpy, but apparently not; he ached and his blood boiled like he hadn’t had sex in centuries.

The human had stopped laughing when he realized that Rax was standing just a few feet away and staring at him intensely. The demon quickly lightened his expression, because this was a human and not a harpy who would appreciate a demon’s hungry stare. Humans had to be approached a bit differently.

His friends took notice as well. They smirked at him, one even nudged the young human with his elbow. Rax didn’t care that it seemed they were encouraging their friend, he just wanted them out of the way.

Finally he stepped closer. “Can I buy you a drink?” He asked.

The human cocked his head up, dark eyes squinted as he slowly looked looked the massive man over. He seemed to be looking at everything, eyes examining and calculating and dare Rax hope, undressing him.

After what felt like a torturously long time, the human shrugged. “Why not?”

“Get him, Jake!” Called one of the woman behind him. Rax saw the human blush hotly before he turned on his heel and told them to fuck off. When he turned back he was still blushing, and offered an apology, “Don’t mind them. They’re drunk.”

Rax had to swallow a growl as a spark ping-ponged from his chest to his cock. He motioned for Jake to follow him back to the bar and they took a seat. Because of his size it meant that they were sitting much closer than they usually would, and that delighted Rax. 

His human prey smelled of alcohol and sweat, but also soft, like spring rain and coconut shampoo. He motioned for the bartender, asking for her to leave the bottle this time, along with another glass.

Jake arched an eyebrow. “Everclear? That shit’ll kill you.”

“Do you want something lighter?”

Jake’s lips curled into a defiant grin. Not breaking eye contact he downed the glass--and then hacked into his hand and leaned over, his other hand gripping his thigh. “Fuck,” he gasped.

Rax laughed. “Careful, that shit’ll kill you.”

Jake looked up, dark eyes twinkling with mischief, and watched as the man easily swallowed his glass. “Show off.”

…

They drank over half of the bottle, Rax drinking most of it, and making small talk. As human liquors went, it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t compare to demon grog. After the first drink Jake had taken it easy, sipping vodka between drinks of water, until he was pleasantly warm and drunk.

“I kiiiind of want to suck your dick,” Jake said with a hungry stare. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that the gorgeous man sitting entirely too close to him was hard as a rock. He certainly hadn’t tried to hide it, which was the only reason why Jake said what he did. That, and he was feeling pretty damn good right now. The man smelled amazing, he was built like a Viking, and he had the smoothest voice. Jake found that he checked off all the boxes and even added a couple more.

Rax snorted into his glass. He hadn’t expected such boldness from the human, who had been polite if not a little silly, but he certainly was pleased. He turned to him, legs open and knees on either side of the delicate man next to him. “Right here?”

Jake laughed as redness covered his face and ears. “If it didn’t think it would get me thrown out of my favorite dive, I would.”

“ _This_ is your favorite dive?” Rax asked in disbelief.

“Don’t diss it,” Jake laughed as he settled his hands in his lap, half-empty glass clutched between them. “It’s fun and the drinks are cheap. Been coming here for years.”

Which would explain why Jake made such easy banter with the bartender and knew almost everyone who walked in the door. Rax grinned. “So what do you say, Jake? Want to come back to my place?”

Jake squeezed the glass. He was just drunk enough to almost throw himself at the man, but the sober part of him held back. “I don’t think I even got your name.”

“Rax,” he said as he slowly slid his palm up Jake’s thigh. He felt the human shiver and watched the way he bit his lip as he thought.

“That short for anything?” He asked as his breath came in short pants.

“No, just unique parents,” he said. He tested the waters by leaning in close, lips just hovering over the human’s. Jake’s dark eyes examined his face, before he slowly tilted his head up to meet him.

Rax was starving for this man, but he didn’t want to frighten him, so he took it slow, savoring the touch of their mouths. Then he licked slowly at perfectly pliable lips, which parted quickly, and he deepened the kiss. Jake moaned, the sound quiet and just for him. Delicious. Rax cupped the back of Jake’s head with one large hand, dragging him forward while pressing his nails against his scalp, and slanting his mouth.

Jake moaned again. Was there an Olympic medal for kissing? Because this guy deserved it. Jake clutched the front of his jacket and leaned closer, surrendering to the man’s demanding mouth and tongue.

When they broke apart Jake was just as hard as Rax and trembling. “More,” he gasped.

“Come with me and I’ll give you all you want, dove,” Rax growled.

Jake motioned to the bottle. “You got more of that?”

Rax stood and threw down an outrageous pile of money into the bar, grabbed the bottle in one hand and Jake’s wrist in the other. The human laughed as he was dragged from the bar and into the night. When Rax reached the alley where he left his motorcycle, Jake hesitated, dropping his hand from Rax’s.

“You sure you’re okay to drive that?” Jake asked as Rax placed the bottle they had been sharing in a saddlebag.

“Absolutely,” he said confidently as he sat down and revved the engine. “It’s not that far.”

Jake took a deep breath before straddling the bike behind him. He snuggled up close and wrapped his arms tightly around the man. In this position he could feel every hard, perfectly carved muscle and could have cried. _Adonis come to life. My god!_ Gone were any rational thoughts that riding on a motorcycle with a man he didn’t know and had been drinking with into busy city traffic might be dangerous. No, when he leaned against Rax he could feel every breath and smell him more clearly now. He bit his lip and closed his eyes tight, resisting the urge to fondle him. 

The Harley roared to life and Rax pulled out onto the road. The hotel he had booked wasn’t quite on the other side of the city, which was fine with him, because Jake was snuggled up right against him. When they stopped at lights he would tease the human by stroking at his arms, which were wrapped around him, or kissing at his fingers. Jake in turn would bite at his back through his jacket, or laugh and try to pull away. He almost regretted taking Jake back to his hotel, as rich and glamorous as it was, because he wanted to do so much more with him. Maybe drive them somewhere into the country, under the stars… but this wasn’t a date, it was a one night stand. Rax’s life was far too dangerous for him to even think about keeping a human in it. 

The drive went by quick and he parked in the underground garage of his hotel, after swerving around a line of taxi cabs that were always there at the tenant’s beck and call. Rax did have an affinity with luxurious human hotels. He parked and dismounted, running his hand through his messy braids. When he turned to Jake, the human was still sitting and was trying to fix his hair.

“You look beautiful,” Rax complimented. 

The human blushed. “You’re just saying that because you want me to keep up my promise from the bar.”

He laughed as he grabbed the bottle and his pouch of gold from the saddlebags and then reached for Jake’s hand. “I swear that I am not. Your beauty captivated me from the moment I saw you dancing.”

A redder blush. Jake exhaled loudly, “You don’t have to try so hard. I’ll sleep with you.” His serious expression broke and he started to laugh, and Rax followed suite.

“Oh? You think that I’m that easy to bed?” The demon teased as he tucked the leather pouch into a pocket of his coat.

Jake crossed his arms. “By the state of your massive rod, I would say yeah.”

Rax snorted. “You’re one to talk.” Jake was flushed, there was a light sweat on his brow and he smelled _absolutely enticing_. What a sweet treat this human was going to be. 

“Maybe I’m seeing someone else after you?”

“Dove, after me, I’ll be all you can see.”

“Sounds like you’re all talk,” He teased even while his heart kicked it up a couple notches. 

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he promised, his voice deep and husky.

Jake’s heart pounded. The banter was fun, but fact was this man was going to be fucking him soon enough and it was just enough to sober Jake up and let his nerves creep over him.

“Will I?” He asked quietly.

“If you still want to,” he said.

“Fuck yes, I do,” he breathed quietly.

“No turning back?” he asked while he, once again offering his hand. 

Jake chewed his lip before accepting it. “No turning back,” he said as he slid off the bike. The moment his feet touched the ground he was pulled into another mind-blowing kiss and any reservations he had were swept from his thoughts. He wrapped his legs around Rax, sharing wet sloppy kisses until he heard a door close behind him and they were alone in the man’s hotel room.

“You’re thirsty, aren’t you?” Rax rumbled.

Jake muffled a laugh against the man’s neck. He relaxed his legs and Rax set him down. “Oh, please don’t use that word in that context.”

Rax’s grin faltered slightly when he realized he had left his longsword out on the table. He distracted Jake by giving him the bottle of vodka and stepping quickly around him.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any glasses,” he said as he quickly hid the weapon under his coat and shirt.

“That’s… goddamn,” Jake’s thoughts stopped and fell out of his head, because Rax was now blessedly shirtless. He took a quick drink to steady himself because how—how was this man real? 

He was never reckless in his life, and had been living in a leash for far too long. Tonight he wanted to be adventurous, he wanted to have fun, and he wanted a night to remember.

Rax gave him a cocky grin. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Where’s the bed?”

…

The moment Jake saw Rax in _The Neon Ghost_ a series of alarms went off in his head. Too bad they were drown out by his consumption of alcohol and his lust, because no one that hot had ever walked into his favorite, albeit shitty, little dive bar before. And there was something about his rich golden eyes that had Jake nearly speechless. This guy was a god, and he wanted Jake.

Jake knew he shouldn’t, knew it could be dangerous, but he had done nothing but live as safe and quiet as possible for the last fifteen years, and he wanted… fun. Not that his group of friends weren’t fun, but they were the kind of people you went to the movies with, danced on tables at the bar with; stayed up too late watching Netflix with kind of friends. Right now, Jake didn’t want any of that. 

So, another drink and another kiss.

Rax tilted his head, staring at the beautiful mortal in his lap. They hadn’t made it far once they hit the bed; Jake had straddled Rax’s lap and the man had tugged off his shirt. Now they were sharing drinks and giggling through kisses far too sloppy and desperate. Jake’s face was flushed from all the alcohol and heavy petting, but it was his hair and dark eyes that again, caught the demon’s attention; he reminded Rax of an elf, delicate and sweet and full of color and life. Only Jake wasn’t an immortal demon, but a young mortal, whom Rax had to be careful with.

Jake giggled and kissed sloppily at Rax’s mouth, tongues licking and lips sliding together. “You may be the hottest man I’ve ever seen,” he admitted with a little hiccup. He slid his hands up Rax’s chest for the millionth time, fingers pressing and squeezing every curve of muscle, and brushing over his dark nipples. “I never go home with people I’ve just met.”

The demon had to admit that one evening wasn’t going to be enough with this one, but there was no getting around it, his life was simply too unpredictable and dangerous to keep a human pet. He sighed, mouthing at Jake’s slender neck, which he had already marked with dark bruises. “That’s because none of them were good enough for you.”

“Think you are?” Jake asked, trying to play coy and failing miserably as Rax sucked in his neck. He couldn’t help but ground down onto the man’s tented leather pants and moan.

“You tell me.”

“I really want you to fuck me,” Jake gasped after another drink from the bottle.

“Oh, I will, dove,” Rax purred as he leaned in, kissing the liquor from his lips.

Jake really hoped he didn’t pass out. That would ruin the night. Or puke on this gorgeous man, which would be even worse!

Rax’s laughter was loud and warm. “If you feel like either, you tell me.”

He blushed hotly. “I said that out loud?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Jake tried to hide against the man’s wide chest. “I’d really hate to fuck this up.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Rax said as he ran his palm down Jake’s back, petting along his spine, to cup his ass. He kissed at his shoulders, biting gently but not hard enough to break the skin.

Jake moaned, his voice desperate and sweet, perfect temptation to Rax’s demon blood. The bottle was dropped to the floor as Rax tilted them, laying Jake onto his back while he nestled between his legs. They were both still dressed from the waist down but that didn’t stop Rax from humping between open legs and causing Jake’s eyes to roll back and his mouth drop open.

Shivers of excitement rushed through Jake and he felt like he was going to catch fire or explode or both. He submitted to the man’s deep, demanding kisses while he worked at his belt and zipper, trying to get his hands down Rax’s pants.

The larger man laughed. “Eager?”

“Said I wanted to blow you,” he panted. “So I’m gonna.”

Rax’s lips twitched into a smirk. He untangled them and stood, easily stripping off his leather pants and his boots. Then he stood, gloriously naked and erect, letting Jake look his fill.

Two things hit Jake at once: there was absolutely no way that cock was going to fit in his mouth or up his ass. Not all of it, anyway.

Rax read the wave of nervousness. He slowly stroked his cock, rubbing his thumb over the slit, smearing precum. “Here’s what you wanted, dove. Still hungry for it?”

“Fuck yes,” he whispered as he slid across the bed, to the floor, and onto his knees. He looked up at Rax, heart in his throat, before he focused on the large cock in front of his face. He slowly closed his hands around the length, sliding them slowly over bulging veins and the crown, slick with creamy white cum. He swept his thumb over the slit and then licked it clean. 

Above him Rax seemed to growl. 

Finding the taste to be surprisingly pleasant, Jake looked up, meeting Rax’s hungry stare, and then leaned forward. He slowly pressed his lips against the crown, and lapped at the precum gathered there. Above him Rax groaned and shuddered, dropping his hands into Jake’s hair, making him freeze with mouth just around the head, waiting for it to be shoved down his throat.

Instead Rax gently encouraged, sliding his fingers through the human’s soft hair. Jake closed his eyes and pulled back, sucking greedily, before he took more of the heavy cock back into his mouth.

Rax watched with heavily lidded eyes as the young human swallowed his cock, inch by inch, before pulling back to start again.

_He’s exquisite…_ Rax encouraged him with groans, and pulled Jake’s hair, urging him on gently but never choking him. Jake moaned, sucking and drooling while his hands stroked whatever wasn’t in his mouth. He pushed his limit, gagging, but not giving up. He rested one hand on Rax’s muscled thigh, digging in his nails.

“Gods be damned,” he groaned, “I wish I could keep you.”

But as it was, he couldn’t keep him. He had one night with him. So he better make it count.

Jake pulled away abruptly, gasping for breath while wiping tears from his face and saliva from his lips and chin. When he looked up, his eyes a mixture of vulnerability and lust, something in Rax snapped. With one swift movement he grabbed Jake and tossed him onto the bed. Bracing on one knee he leaned down to kiss him, biting at his sweet lips, while pulling off his jeans and shoes. 

“Shit—slow down,” Jake gasped as the monster-of-man tossed his clothing across the room, then started to kiss and bite at his body, leaving bruises behind. Rax was ravenous, his hands pinning Jake down while he moved down his now naked body. 

“I need to taste you,” Rax grunted. He knelt on the floor and draped Jake’s well-toned legs over his shoulders.

…

Jake lay back, panting, as Rax worked his way down his body, mouthing every inch of him. The man’s large hands, rough from years of hard work, stroked down over him in tantalizing hard strokes. Jake shifted as Rax squeezed his thighs before lifting them over his shoulders and lowering his head.

Jake gasped in surprise when Rax’s lips and tongue stroked him a bit further south than his straining cock. “Wh-what are you doing?” he squeaked.

Rax lifted his head from where he knelt comfortably between Jake’s legs, which were fit and very limber, making Rax suspect that he was a dancer. He looked soft, but when Rax squeezed his thighs and had kissed down his stomach, he had felt the muscle there. He tilted his head at the shocked look on the human’s face. “Has no one ever done this to you?”

He blushed hotly. Jake wasn’t a virgin, he wasn’t innocent, but admittedly, no, he had never had anyone rim him. He swallowed hard. “N-no,” he stammered, “it’s never… I mean, no.”

Rax frowned and shook his head. “No one was ever tasted you here? I know nothing of your previous lovers but each and every one of them is a complete waste of breath for not savouring you. Worthless, all of them.”

Jake’s heart thumped in his chest. He opened his mouth, but he was lost for words. “Uhm--” Then Rax was going down on him again, and his tongue and lips were doing thing that Jake had never had done to him before. He laid back, eyes staring at the ceiling, mouth slack, hands gripping the bed sheets. Soon he was moaning, his skin sweaty and thighs trembling. Each slid of Rax’s tongue had him seeing stars. To anchor himself he tangled his hands in Rax’s hair and pulled.

Rax meanwhile was struggling to hold it together. When Jake’s hands tangled in his hair he wanted nothing more than for those soft hands to be caressing his horns. He wanted to take Jake without hiding what he was. 

He ran his fingers over the head of his cock, gathering precum, and used it as an alternative lube (which he didn’t carry, because omega male demons could produce slick, alpha demons produced larger than normal amounts of precum, and a lot of other species simply didn’t require it.). Thankfully his demon seed was slick and slightly sticky, and he easily started to work one finger into him. When he turned his attention to Jake’s straining cock, the human let out a delightfully desperate moan.

“ _Rax!_ ,Oh god—you’re going to push me over—“ Jake moaned.

Rax laughed. “Then come for me, Jake, and let me taste you.”

Well, fuck, if that wasn’t hot as hell. Jake sobbed, hips bucking when Rax swallowed him again, and his body clenched around the two thick fingers shoved deep inside him. When he laid back, gasping for breath and riding off the high of his orgasm, Rax leaned over him, a smirk on his gorgeous face.

“You’re the devil, aren’t you?” Jake panted as he reached up to cup the man’s face.

“Only a minor demon,” Rax teased. He had pushed three fingers in now and watched Jake’s face for pain. When the human only moaned and squeezed down, Rax decided they were ready to try.

“Going to roll you over, Jake,” he said as he kissed down Jake’s body, hands sliding over his trembling sides, “gonna fuck you hard.”

Jake let himself be rolled over, and for Rax to pull his ass up to his liking; he braced his weight on his knees. Jake then grabbed a pillow and, chest on the mattress, hugged it, because he knew without a doubt that this was going to hurt, even with the man’s gentle preparation.

He tried not to shake as the bed shifted with Rax’s weight. He felt the man’s heavy cock resting against his ass, twitching in anticipation. Large, rough hands soothed him, petting up and down his sides, while soft kisses were placed down his back.

Jake tensed when those large hands reached his ass and spread him, and then—pressure—

“Ooooh god!” He yelled into the pillow. Rax was moving slow, but persistently, penetrating him deeper and stretching him more than anyone else ever had. He was at his limit, but he didn’t voice it, only smothered his cries into the pillow.

Rax growled loudly, the sound vibrating in his chest as his glamour flickered, because _holy fuck_ he had never felt so at home in his life. He thrust slowly, torturously, until he was seated nearly to his balls and almost couldn’t breathe. Jake was perfect. He was—heaven.

Breathing deep to calm the sudden rush of demon possessiveness and instinct to mate, Rax looked down at the human’s trembling backside. Jake was very tense, his muscles drawn up in knots, and he was breathing heavily into a pillow.

“Is it too much?” He asked roughly.

“N-no,” Jake whimpered. “I can… I can handle it—“

Rax hummed and pulled out halfway, and as he did, he saw Jake visibly relax and heard him sigh. He stroked his back and side gently with one hand, while the other remained on his hip. “Mm, that’s better, yeah?”

Jake exhaled shakily and turned his head. His face was red and wet. “Y-yeah,” he murmured. He didn’t feel like he was going to be split in two anymore. He opened his mouth to speak, to apologize for something as stupid as not being able to handle a giant cock, when Rax spoke up first.

“Tell me anytime it’s too much. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Jake,” as he spoke he leaned over Jake’s back, licking up sweat and leaving behind kisses. “Promise me.”

“I promise— _ooh!_ ” He choked on the words as Rax started to move. His thrusts were hard, yet gentle, and he was careful not to push too deep. Jake sobbed into the pillow as he was rocked back and forth. Every thrust was hard and just deep enough to knock the breath from him. “ _Yes_ —more!”

More was exactly what Rax wanted. He grunted and groaned, burying himself into tight, moist heat at a fast pace. He dug his nails into Jake’s hips, leaving welts and bruises. As he pumped in and out of him, he leaned over his back to kiss at the base of his neck. He was able to thrust deeper, Jake’s body loosening up and growing more slick from Rax’s precum. He groaned, sucking wetly against Jake’s neck. He thrust deeper… harder… faster...

Then, abruptly, he bit.

…

When sharp teeth pierced his neck, Jake realized one giant, glaring thing that he should have noticed the second Rax walked into the bar:

Rax was a demon. 

(A demon who clearly had no idea what he was, otherwise he would have most definitely called him out.)

And he had just bitten him.

Now the demon was snarling and his heavy scent was filling the bedroom, because he was losing his glamour. Jake froze, trapped beneath the rutting monster as claws sank deep into his hips to keep him from moving away.

_Wait—wait—wait—_ This wasn’t normal sex. He glanced back, seeing bright, flushed red skin— _a Blood Demon._  
.  
_Oh, fuck no._ Jake’s fight or flight instinct reared up and, using strength that he had hidden for so long, managed to twist, kick, and jerk himself free. The massive red demon stumbled back and tripped to the floor with a startled growl, quickly following it up with a furious roar.

Ignoring the blood running down his hips and legs from the demon’s claws, and radiating pain from his neck, Jake leaped off the bed, grabbed his clothes, and ran. He could hear the demon stumbling and snarling, looking for _it’s mate_ , but he didn’t look back and only ran. In the elevator he jerked on his clothes, difficult given how badly he was shaking and bleeding, and listened for the demon. He half expected it to burst through the elevator’s ceiling like in a goddamn horror movie.

When the elevator doors dinged open he ran through the lobby, nearly plowing through a security guard, before he shoved his way through the glass doors. Out on the sidewalk he saw there was still a line of taxi cabs and bolted for the nearest one. He was in a panic, all color washed from his face and shaking badly as he dropped into the back seat. He kicked the seat in front of him.

“Go!” He shouted at the startled human. His eyes, wide and wild, stared at the hotel. He heard a roar— “Drive!”

“Bad date?” The startled human asked as he hit the gas, tires screeching, as they put into the mostly empty street.

“Yeah,” Jake replied shakily as he leaned over in pain. Blood was soaking through his clothes and he felt dizzy and very ill. He could feel wisps of his magic started to crackle, and struggled to hold it together. He looked back, as the hotel fell from view, and only turned around to the driver who had been questioning him nonstop, when they had left it behind them. He covered the bite mark on his neck and gave the man his address.

“You all right, kid?” The man asked gently. “Do you need the police?”

He couldn’t help but smile weakly. “I just want to go home.”

Jake lived back across the city, just a couple blocks away from _The Neon Ghost._ When the driver stopped Jake handed him all the cash he had, to cover the fair and the cleaning of the seats. Not wanting to take any chances he ran for the building and inside. He was sure the demon wasn’t following, Jake used a very specific and special spell to mask his scent. It should be untraceable.

_Should_ be, but he had never fled from...his… 

Jake locked the door behind him and doubled over in pain. He stumbled to the bathroom, shaking so badly he his teeth chattered. Waves of pain washed over him, sending him into a panic. He pulled off his clothing, looking for signs of injury other than the bite and claw marks, when be dropped to the floor to vomit in the toilet.

He emptied his stomach, and continued to heave for a few minutes after. When the wave passed he reached over to start the water in the bathtub. While it warmed he stood on shaking legs, and looked at his reflection.

His glamour had fallen. For the first time in fifteen years Jake saw himself for who and what he really was—

Sickness churned inside him and he closed his eyes, muttering the words to bring the complicated spell back, to hide his features and his scent. It was difficult, with waves of pain and nausea pulsing through him, a result of the spell falling. And the spell was falling because he was not only freaking the fuck out, but because of the demon’s magic that had washed over him when the bond was started and then cut short when Jake had severed their connection.

The bite mark on his neck throbbed at the thought. Jake knew it was no ordinary bite. He knew exactly what it meant for him, and knew that a Blood Demon like Rax would never give up looking for him.

He was the demon’s mate, and it would be coming for him.


	2. Fools Rush In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, I'm having some problems writing, but thanks for sticking with me. This chapter was really hard to write, and I have no idea why??? It's been nearly finished since I posted the first chapter, but I just couldn't seem to polish it up to the point that I felt confident posting it. I'd complain about writer's block but that's like my theme song at this point. I will say that I am looking forward to diving into the Otherworld with you all. Thanks for reading and all the comments and kudos xoxo

When the red haze cleared Rax found himself standing in the tattered remains of his hotel room. He was naked, with a extremely painful erection, and completely alone. He turned in a circle as his body shrank down to a more normal size. Pieces of ceiling were scattered in the floor from his horns scraping up against it and everything was trashed. He rubbed his head and tried to calm down and focus, which was difficult with the amount of adrenaline still running through him. 

Adrenaline spiked with the shock that _he had a mate._

Rax turned around, eyes sweeping the empty room until he was standing in front of the bed, looking down at blood that was smeared on the white sheets. His chest tightened and he felt like he was having a heart attack.

“Oh god,” he choked. “I hurt him.” Grabbing the sheets he buried his nose in them, inhaling deeply. His mate’s scent was fading, unusually fast, but it was the scent of his blood, and the taste when Rax licked the sheet, that reassured him that Jake was his and an immortal Otherkin. Pain and yearning throbbed through him, mixing with guilt and confusion.

His very much _not_ human mate had fled at the very sight of him. His mate, masquerading as a human, was using the best goddamn glamour Rax had ever witnessed, had evidently traced away from him the second Rax had gone full-demon and started the bonding process. The taste of Jake’s blood told Rax that he was some sort of fey; what Court affiliation, what species, he didn’t know, but taste of the blood on his lips did not lie. Jake was a fey and immortal and—fucking gone.

A human taking off would make sense, but a fey? Why would he flee and leave behind such a stink of fear? Why was he afraid?

Rax looked at the blood crusted under his claws and on his fingertips as a growl rumbled in his chest. After being kicked away from his mate, and the connection severed, Rax had gone mad, thinking that his mate had been in danger; it was the only reasonable excuse he could come up with at the time. Not that his mate had _fled him_. And in breaking that connection it had caused the bonding process to stop, and Rax could feel the alpha instinct inside his head, chanting that he needed to find Jake and complete their bond, because if he didn’t they were both going to suffer.

The only problem was that Rax had no idea where to look. Jake’s fake human scent was already almost gone from the room. He hadn’t learned his last name or anything about him. Was Jake even his real name? Rax recalled the fey’s human friends call him that, but was it the given to him at birth? Did his human friends know he wasn’t like them?

Pain and anxiety filled him and Rax rubbed his head as it started to throb. The longer they were apart, the longer they went without finishing the bond, the worse things would get. Rax felt anxious and nauseous, and rage was slowly building up inside of him. And his cock was maddeningly hard and painful. Would it even soften without completing inside Jake?

_Jake…_ He closed his eyes, picturing him in his human glamour. What did Jake actually look like? Why was he hiding so deeply in the human world that he had even missed the telltale signs that Rax was a demon? Did he have rainbow eyes? Did he have wings? Was he some kind of sprite? He needed to know everything.

With a snarl Rax dressed and gathered all his belongings. His demon instinct was growing steadily louder and more demanding, and Rax wondered if Amon had experienced this madness when hunting Elijah.

He thought about calling the Storm demon, but did he honestly want that asshole’s advice? And Elly wouldn’t be much help.

But… the halfling could give him advice on dealing with a skittish mate.

When he was finally leaving the hotel room his head was throbbing and so was his cock (pulling on pants had not been easy) and he decided that right now what he needed was fresh air. Waving on his glamour, he grabbed his sheathed sword and his duffel bag, and after leaving a pile of money on the shredded mattress, left. 

Once outside he sniffed the air, but found nothing. Probably because fey, like some demons, could trace to different locations. Jake had probably disappeared the second he had gotten away, and following something who traced was impossible.

As Rax prepared his bike, another wave of anxiety and sickness washed over him, accompanied by a wave of aggression. His instincts were telling them to track his mate, pin him down, and fuck him. Like all demons, the barbaric instinct was always there, but Rax had never experienced it so forcefully before. He growled and curled his claws into his forearm, hoping the pain would give him some relief while he closed his eyes.

But when he closed his eyes all he could see was Jake beneath him, ass in the air and wet for him, his shaking sobs encouraging him; the shiny scar on the back of his neck wet from long licks of his tongue--

Rax’s cock twitched in his pants and he groaned. He could sit here for hours, just remembering how it had felt sliding into Jake, how his body had stretched around him, the feeling of completeness when he had mounted him. His ears twitched as he recalled Jake’s moans and soft sobs.

He sighed and pulled the sleeve of his jacket down over the deep wounds he had made on his arm. Clearly pain wasn’t going to calm his raging boner and hormones. There was only one cure, and he didn’t know where it was.

The Harley roared to life and the tired squealed as Rax whipped it around and into the street. He would go back to the bar first, see if any of Jake’s human friends were there. He had mentioned that the dump was his favorite dive, it seemed reasonable to assume someone there would know him.

Plan in place, Rax started his hunt.

…

“Fuck.”

Jake lay staring at the ceiling fan. He was soaked with sweat and his thighs and cock ached like nothing he had ever felt before. He knew why, of course. He had just spent the night twisting and turning, falling into moments of fever-stricken sleep, dreaming of Rax looming over him, fucking him, devouring him in every sense of the word. Then he would wake alone, aching and sweaty, and once, crying.

_It hurt_ so much, and he didn’t know what to do about it. No, he did know. Find the demon, finish the bond. He rubbed at his eyes, then his head which was pounding, before sitting up. Thankfully fey like himself didn’t have the glands needed to produce slick like a lot of omega male demons, and he was eternally thankful for that, because he didn’t need to deal with that, too.

He stripped out of his sweaty shorts and t-shirt and went to shower. Standing under the cold spray of water he traced his fingers slid down his body to his erection, which hadn’t gone away all night. He cursed.

He had tried touching himself, but no matter how much he jerked off or fingered himself, he couldn’t finish. “Fucking gods,” he growled. If he had just let the demon finish fucking him, this wouldn’t be a problem. He wouldn’t be aching, or missing someone he didn’t even know.

After working so hard to live in the human world, he was going to lose it all.

Jake shuffled through his apartment, stopping only to put a kettle of water on the stovetop, then crossed to open the living room curtains. It was still early morning. Sunlight poured in and he sighed heavily, letting the warmth soak into his skin. Jake tugged down his drawstring pajama pants just enough to look at the healing marks on his hips and down his outer thighs. It took longer to heal these days, but eventually the marks would fade away, leaving his skin clean and scar-free.

The mark on his neck on the other hand… He reached back, touching the bandage that covered it. It would heal, but it would scar. No magic or spell or trick would hide it. A demon had claimed him, and all Otherkin would see it and know.

Jake exhaled heavily as he pulled his pants up and shoved his hands in the pockets of his oversized hoodie with the NASA logo on the front. Unlike most Otherkin, fey had sprouted from a completely different branch from the Tree of Life. They had no alpha and omega hierarchy, they only had a fated mate if another species claimed them, and they were powerful and free--to an extent, which was the Summer and Winter Courts, an alliance all fey held, whether they liked it or not. 

As he waited for the tea kettle to squeal, he rubbed his head and sat down on the floor in the kitchen, where the sunlight was shining through the window. The light helped, and it would help even more of he dropped his glamour.

No, that was out of the question.

_All this pain would go away if you went and found that demon._ But if he did that, if he bent over and let Rax finish the bond, they would be inseparable. All the work Jake had put into playing human and blending in would all be for nothing, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to step back into his old life. He frowned as he picked at the skin around his fingernails. Thinking about his old life, thinking about what he had gone through, made him feel even sicker than the ache for Rax.

He closed his eyes, picturing the man. Rax was… fuck, he had been _amazing._ He had been sweet and tender, while being hot as hell and outlandishly gorgeous. When pictured him in his mind he didn’t see the Blood demon that he had ran away from, but the man who had been so careful with him. Who had a magnificent cock that Jake wanted to ride, and a chest he wanted to trace with his tongue.

Jake breathed in shakily. Rax was clearly a good man. He deserved a much better mate than himself. Jake mulled over this as he made himself a cup of tea and prepared for his day. It was Monday and as much as he would like to call in sick to work, he just couldn’t do that to his boss.

Plus, she had been with him at the bar last night so she knew he would be lying if he tried to call in with anything other than a hangover. So he did his best to get ready for work, difficult given that even though he had miraculously willed away his erection, he know felt ill. He was clammy, his stomach was upset, and his anxiety was spiking through the roof. He walked to the dance studio just a few blocks away, hoping that fresh air and sunlight would help him, but it only escalated his jumpiness; everytime he heard a motorcycle roar up the road he almost had a panic attack. 

The small, had-definitely-seen-better-days dance studio was on the corner of the block. Curtains were pulled over the front windows and a large hand-painted sign hung there that read “Bianca’s Dance and Tumbling.” Jake walked through the front door and followed the sound and children’s laughter to the larger room that was set up primarily for beginner’s gymnastics and tumbling.

Jake had always loved to dance. He had spent years learning dozens of different styles, of both the human word and Otherworld. And while he could have made a name for himself on the big stage, he preferred this.

“Mr. Jake!” yelled a dozen young voices, and he was swarmed by both boys and girls, all under the age of ten. He greeted each child by name; he patted heads and gave hugs if wanted, before clapping his hands for attention.

“Let’s warm up, kids! Hop to it!”

He spent the next five hours with five different groups of human children, ages ranging from ten to sixteen. He and the other teachers worked with different children and different styles of dance. While Jake wasn’t a licensed teacher, he was still able to help children with their form and different styles. His personal favorite class was helping the younger children learn their first steps in ballet. 

“So,” Bianca said as they stopped for lunch over the noon-hour. “How was the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen, in bed?”

Jake smiled softly as he sat on the counter in the break room/kitchen. He drank only a bottle of water and ate crackers to calm the nausea in his stomach. Working with the children had taken away his anxiety and ache, but now that he wasn’t completely distracted it was threatening to wash over him like a tidal wave.

“He was okay,” Jake said with a blush. “Nothing special.”

Bianca dropped her spoon. “What?” she wheezed.

Jake fiddled with the water bottle. “You know how men are.”

“Two pumps and then he cried?”

Jake’s smile wavered. Sickness churned in his belly, and the bite hidden under the bandage on his neck throbbed; when he breathed in all he wanted was to be smothered in the demon’s heavy demon musk. His thighs quivered and his anxiety broke through. He hated how dependent he suddenly was on someone, someone he might never see again. Was he going to have to live the rest of his life this way?

“Jake?” Bianca asked worriedly. He had gone pale and was shining with nervous sweats. “Did something happen last night? God—did he hurt you?”

“No,” he murmured. “ _I_ hurt us both. I did something stupid…”. Abruptly he jumped down and headed for the door. “Bee, I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow—“

Not waiting for her to answer, he broke into a run. He bolted out of the studio and toward home. He darted through traffic, around pedestrians, until he was slamming his apartment door behind him. There he collapsed, dry-heaving and shaking as waves of pain washed over him. Heat pooled in his belly and groin and he sobbed.

Jake leaned over, head pressed into the floor as he struggled to hold not only himself together, but his glamour. His magic was cracking, threatening to break, and if it did, then every Otherkin in the area would know where he was, making his anxiety spike.

_Pull yourself together!_ He sat up, muttering out-loud that if he stopped hiding, it wouldn’t change his life. If he dropped his glamor, no one would care. There were only humans in this building, any Otherkin in the vicinity would only scent a summer fey, and hundreds probably lived in Ironwood City. He closed his eyes, evened his breathing, and finally pushed to his feet.

When his phone rang he jumped in surprise, groping his pocket for it. He frowned when he saw the caller ID. 

“Maci, hey,” he said as he stepped through the apartment, trying to shake off his breakdown. “What’s up?”

“Jake, I don’t want to freak you out—“ the woman said in haste, “but that guy you left with last night? He was just here, looking for you.”

Jake stumbled, stubbing his toe. “Goddamnit,” he hissed.

“Yeah,” the bartender replied, “and he looked—bad.”

Jake frowned. “Bad?”

“He was sweating and kind of gross, and he looked—like, dangerous. He was asking for you and I thought he was going to trash the place”

Jake closed his eyes. “Do you have any idea where he went?”

“No, he just got on his Harley and left. You better watch out, Jake, he looked scary as fuck.”

_Yeah, desperate demons can be terrifying,_ he thought as he rubbed his head. This problem wasn’t going to go away. Rax wasn’t going to leave without finding him. And he would eventually become dangerous. Jake was also going to go mad if he didn’t find the demon, or let the demon find him. He palmed himself and winced at the friction, but it wouldn’t do any good to continue. He and Rax were bound by fate, whether they liked it or not.

“Thanks, Maci. I’ll um, I’ll keep my head down,” he finally said before ending the call.

He went to take a cold shower and change his clothing. He pulled on his favorite blue jeans and sneakers, along with a t-shirt. Grabbing his jacket on his way out the door he left the safety of his home.

There was a park not too far away and it was his destination. This section of Ironwood City had always been startling low on the Otherkin scale, while the rest was a massive hotspot. It was why he had chosen Thornwood Apartments, even though the building was rundown, went through infestations of cockroaches and rats, and he had the most irritatingly loud humans as neighbors.

As expected the park was bustling with activity, Monday afternoon or not. Jake took a familiar path through trees and overgrown shrubs until he was at the poor excuse of a pond. There was a small island in the center with a single weeping willow tree, and lots of overgrown weeds. Cattails surrounded the pond on all sides, making getting to the actual water nearly impossible. Sometimes he wound find humans, usually children, trying to get close enough to cast a fishing line, but they never caught anything. Any little fish living in the water were eaten by the geese and ducks that nested here.

Jake sat down in the unmowed grass. He closed his eyes, trembling as fear threatened to derail his probably ill-conceived plan.

Forehead frowning in concentration, Jake lowered his glamour ever so slightly: just enough for his natural scent to be swept away into the wind.

“This shouldn’t take too long,” he said out-loud to himself. If Rax was anywhere nearby, then he would pick up on the scent fast enough. He turned his attention to a trio of ducks paddling across the green-tinted water, quacking happily to each other. He smiled at them, admiring their simple life. If only his own life was so quiet and easy-going.

Well, at one time, it had been.

Refusing to relive any of those memories, he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled mindlessly through various social media apps; he liked and hearted pictures and comments, and sent a text to Bianca that he was sorry for bailing early on her. He also apologized that he might not make it in tomorrow. Because when Rax showed up, Jake didn’t know what was going to happen. His life was going to change, there was no way he could go back to hiding the way he had been. He chewed his lip and bowed his head. This was a mistake, wasn’t it?

Then, only ten minutes later, the wind changed ever so slightly, and Jake smelled _him._

He was in the park. Jake tensed, resisting the urge to run. But that wouldn’t help anyone. Not him, not Rax, not any poor immortal or mortal who foolishly set the demon off. Jake’s brain danced from idea to idea, trying to come up with ways out of the situation, trying to think of ways to end the bond without hurting them both, but as far as he knew, the only way was to die. He didn’t want to die, he had spent too many years hiding just to stay alive. And he had been so busy staying alive that, he realized, he hadn’t taken a lot of time to live.

It was funny, he had never thought about having a mate. He had dated a couple humans, but always found them to be lacking (and also, mortal.). He had always been so focused on just making it through another day that he hadn’t stopped to think about eternity.

Which is what the demon would want from him.

The birds stopped singing and the waterfowl suddenly flew away. Jake, shoulders tense and stomach in knots, turned his head.

Rax stood just outside the tree line. He was dressed the same as last night: an open jacket and but this time no shirt underneath, leather pants, heavy biker boots, with his long, black, braided hair. He appeared human but Jake could now easily smell that he was a Blood Demon. He felt a sudden rush of urgency.

A low rumbling growl filled the space between them. When Rax started to stomp towards him, Jake could see how clammy and pale the demon was; how he was struggling with his glamour. Jake still didn’t move, even as his heart started to pump adrenaline through him, his instincts telling him to run, because there was a very angry demon approaching him.

Rax’s eyes became black and Jake felt a surge of panic. What if this was a mistake? What if Rax _wasn’t_ a good man and had come here to kill him? What if Rax didn’t want a mate and the idea of being chained down by his instincts infuriated him?

Panic won out over reason just before the demon reached him, and Jake leaped to his feet and back. At his sudden movement the demon stopped. Unreadable obsidian eyes dragged over Jake like sandpaper, he stepped back again, hands curling into fists. If this demon attacked him here, there would be very little that he could do to defend himself.

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me,” Jake reminded him desperately.

…

Fear made his mate quake and his voice tremble. Fear of him. Rax frowned, hands clenching and unclenching, muscles bulging and heart pounding. When he inhaled his mate’s scent it was sweet and fragrant, completely different from early; his mate smelled like honeysuckle and jasmine and afternoons spent in the sun. With the glamour Rax knew now that Jake was a part of the Summer King’s Court; a summer or springtime fey, maybe even a sprite of some kind.

The second Rax had caught his scent he had nearly wrecked his bike, and then ad raced through traffic and stoplights until he found himself at this small, unassuming park littered with humans. The mortals had stared at him and whispered, but they could sense his menace and steered clear, giving him a straight path to this little pond, and his mate.

_You must complete the bond with him; make him yours forever! Take him!_

Rax closed his eyes as instinct pounded in his head like a drum. He growled, leaning forward as he fought the barbaric voice that wanted him to shove Jake to the ground and mount him.

_“You said you wouldn’t hurt me.”_

“I did say that,” Rax agreed, his voice guttural. He straightened up to his full height, glamour falling away. He didn’t care if anyone saw them. He needed Jake to see him as he was, what he was. He approached his shaking mate slowly, while proudly displaying his black ridged horns (which the fey looked, eyes widening in appreciation) and then, right as he reached him, Rax dropped to one knee.

“I will _never_ hurt you,” he vowed. 

Jake stared at the demon who knelt in front of him, head bowed. He wasn’t sure what shocked him more: the act of submission or how fucking big the demon was without his glamour. He had seriously been in bed with this demon? And he was not only still walking, but hadn’t been completely ruined?

“Jake.”

Jake snapped his head up, not realizing he hadn’t said a word and had been staring at Rax’s horns. He stepped back. “This is a mistake,” he said, “I’m not your mate.”

“The blood does not lie,” Rax said. Biting Jake had been an accident, he had always made a point to never bite mortals. Somehow his alpha instinct must have known Jake was meant to be his, and pushed him to bite.

And what a bite it had been. He had bit down harder than he could ever remember, and sweet, hot blood had rushed into his mouth and over his tongue. The taste had set off a series of events, his instinct screaming that Jake was his, and then the loss of control as he fucked him. Jake’s blood had done more than just tell Rax that the fey was his, it had also given him strength he had never had before. He felt larger, stronger, and far more alive than he ever had.

“It has to be lying,” Jake insisted as he stepped back again. “We aren’t meant to be. I-I can’t be yours.”

Rax looked up, cocking his head. “Why not, little fey?”

“Don’t call me that—“ Jake hissed. “I’m not— _that_ anymore. I’m human.”

Rax hummed as he stood. “You are most definitely not human. Why are you hiding? Who are you hiding from? Tell me, mate, and I will find them and give you their head.”

Jake frowned and shook his head. “I’m not hiding from anyone.”

“Please don’t lie to me,” Rax said as he approached him slowly. 

“I can do whatever I want, because we aren’t mates,” Jake said as he tensed up. Being this close to Rax made it far too easy to smell him, the real him: powerful alpha demon, all pheromones and temptation. Jake couldn’t help but look at him. Like all Blood demons his skin was a deep, rich red. He had scars, most probably from before he became immortal, many of them etched across his skin from years of fighting. Jake was very much aware of the demon’s hard-on, it was impossible to miss. His hair, was deep shiny black and quite long, was braided, and his horns…

Magnificent didn’t fit them. Jake wanted to lick them—

A low, pleased rumble came from Rax as he watched the fey’s eyes darted over inch of him. And by the way his dark eyes dilated and his scent changed ever so, Rax knew that his mate found him attractive.

A very good start. Rax stood taller. “Will drop your glamour for me?”

Jake’s face washed of all color. “What?” he choked.

Rax cocked his head, frowning in confusion. “Drop your glamour, please. I want to see you, the real you.” He hadn’t expected the complete wash of color, or for Jake to step away even more. They had been making progress, hadn’t they?

“I won’t,” Jake said. “You should leave.”

Rax stepped closer. “I ache for you, mate. Every inch of me burns for you. Do you burn for me?”

By goddess, he did, he felt like he had a fever and Rax was his medicine. But surrendering to Rax… “We can’t. If we finish what we started, you’ll be bound to me, and you’ll regret it.” This had been a stupid idea. He should have stayed home, stayed hidden, and suffered for the rest of his life. At least he could have given Rax a chance to move on without him. It may have taken years, but they were immortal, years was all in the blink of an eye. Maybe Rax could have found a female demon, someone to give him children; little pups with red skin and bright, dangerous eyes.

“I would never regret—“

“You don’t even know me!” Jake shouted. He was growing desperate. Desperate to be in Rax’s arms, desperate to get away, desperate to go back to his boring life as a human. But the closer they stood together, the more Jake wanted to throw “normal” away and let Rax have him any way he wanted. He shifted on his feet, he started to look around for an escape.

Rax held up his hands submissively. “Then let’s get to know each other, Jake.”

“In bed?” he asked with a frown.

“I would prefer to finish what we started,” Rax said with a shrug, “but I’ll endure this pain for you. But I will not tolerate _your_ pain. Tell me what you need, mate, and I will give it to you.”

_I want you to leave. I want you to remove the mark from my neck. I want my boring-ass life back._ Jake swallowed the words and rubbed at his eyes, which filled with tears. He was aching, maybe as much as Rax was, and knew that it wouldn’t go away. Not without his mate. 

“It hurts so much,” he finally admitted.

“Tell me what to do.”

Jake closed his eyes, praying he wouldn’t regret his next words, “Let’s go back to my place. Before someone sees us.”

Thrill rushed through Rax and he straightened, called his glamour back, and followed Jake, who had call his glamour back and was hiding his scent again. How incredibly strange. Jake was obviously scared of something, or someone, and was hiding, but he would learn soon enough that whatever threat he feared, that Rax could and would kill it. He didn’t want to see his mate afraid of anyone. 

They walked quietly out of the park and back to his Harley. “Where are we going?” he asked as he straddled it.

“Just up a couple blocks,” Jake said as he slid on behind him. When he wrapped his arms around the man he couldn’t stop from snuggling up against him and taking a deep breath. He felt hot from his ears to his toes, and a great deal calmer. His anxiety was ebbing just from being in contact with the large demon. “To the Thornwood Apartment building.”

Once they arrived Jake lead Rax up to his apartment. When he closed and locked the door, the demon dropped his glamour and was forced to tilted his head down to keep his horns from scraping against the ceiling. Jake stood back, watching as Rax stepped around the living room and kitchen, looking around and touching things.

“How long have you been hiding as a human?” Rax asked. He couldn’t smell Jake’s sweet, natural scent anymore and the loss of it made him yearn. He turned back to his small mate.

Jake exhaled a long breath. “Fifteen years, give or take a couple. Maybe closer to twenty.”

Rax frowned. “How long have you been immortal?”

“The same amount of time,” he said, “or close to that. I… I had some… I lost track of time and so the math is fuzzy.”

Rax approached him slowly. He wanted to know more, he needed to know why his mate was so afraid of being himself, but he was going to keep his promise first. “Tell me what to do to make you feel good.”

Jake shuddered. There was such passion and power in those words. “I… I want you to… take me to bed.” 

The demon swept him up into his arms and, taking directions, carried him to the bedroom. He laid him down and stood over him. “Now what, Jake?”

Jake’s heart was pounding and his cock was aching. “Take off your clothes.”

Rax really hope he wasn’t salivating. He dropped his jacket to the floor and then kicked off his boots and nearly ripped off his pants. His heart pounded as he stood next to the bed, naked and fully aroused, head bowed to keep his horns from doing any damage to the ceiling. Jake’s eyes were wide, his mouth open, as he looked him over. He could smell his mate’s arousal growing and in turn, he growled pleasantly. “Do I please you?”

Jake gulped and, trembling, asked, “Now take off my clothes.”

The demon groaned and reached down, pulling off Jake’s shirt and then tugged off his shoes. When he started to pull off Jake’s jeans he was distracted first by his deliciously erect cock, and then the puffy, healing claw marks down his hips. Rax paled. “I did that to you?”

“Well, I did,” Jake said as he sat up. “When I… I kicked you away.”

Rax leaned down, pulling off the fey’s jeans, and started to kiss each healing mark. He ran his tongue over each wound caused by his claws. He heard Jake gasp, felt him shudder. When he closed his hand over his erection Jake let out a surprised whine. “Now what, mate?”

“Godsdammit,” Jake sighed as he shook. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, hoping to clear his head, but all he did was grow drunker off Rax’s heavy scent. “Sit down, your back to the headboard.”

Jake’s bed was only a twin and it creaked under the demon’s heavy weight. Rax sat down, his legs stretched out in front of him, and watched as Jake straddled his hips. Jake looked Rax in the eyes, not blinking or looking away, as he spread his cheeks and started to sit himself down on the demon’s monster cock. His glamour threatened to give as their magic crackled together. He hadn’t prepped and he wasn’t wet, but it didn’t matter, they needed to do this, and he was immortal, he could take the pain and the stretch. Once the swollen head of Rax’s cock had pushed into him, the rest of easier, and Jake was sobbing.

“Jake--” Rax groaned, his voice rattling the window. Their connection was electric, and he could feel only that. He shifted so he could hold the fey, gripping him to his chest, as Jake sat fully onto his cock. Again Rax felt absolute bliss at being sheathed inside him. He kissed at his shoulders, licked at his neck, caught Jake’s mouth in a deep, devouring kiss. They rocked together, not even thrusting, desperate to keep the connection as deep as possible. 

“Rax, oh _please_ ,” Jake moaned as he dug his knees into the bed and moved his hips just enough to feel the friction. Rax’s mouth continued to kiss on his shoulders and neck, stopping to lick at his lips, while his hands gripped his ass, squeezing hard. Jake slid up a few inches and slammed back down, and it only took two more thrusts and they were coming together, Jake crying into Rax’s chest and the demon snarling into his hair. Hot seed filled him, wet him; scented him inside and out, staining him with Rax’s eternal marking of their bond. The magical tether between them snapped Jake’s magic and he felt his glamor fall away like shattering glass. Magic pulsed through him, powerful and healthy, it’s source the unbreakable bond between the two of them. Shaking and crying, Jake let waves of pleasure, pain, and sparks from the magic rip through him.

And then Rax’s gasp shattered the moment and the demon was leaning away.

...

Rax rocked back in shock. The moment they orgasmed together the bond between them had solidified, tethering them together with magic and blood and seed, and Rax had groaned and roared as waves of pleasure pulsed through him. He could hear Jake crying against his chest, felt his hands gripping him, could smell his tears, but then his human scent had vanished and Rax was overwhelmed by the scent of flowers, sunshine, and summer heat. He opened his eyes to find Jake in his lap, glamor-less and completely exposed.

He hadn’t meant to gasp the way he did and pull away, but it couldn’t be helped. Without his glamour Jake was much thinner than when he was hiding as a human, a little shorter, too. He had long, pointed ears and the softly tanned skin of a summer fey; his hair was nearly the same as it was in his human disguise, only the colors of blue and purple were much more pronounced against deep brown. But that wasn’t what had caused cold dread to drop in the pit of Rax’s stomach.

When he had jerked back, it had forced Jake to sit up straight. They were still connected and the fey couldn’t just move away from him, not in his position. Rax inhaled again, eyes huge, and raised a shaking hand.

He touched Jake’s face before gripping his chin and tilting his head up. Jake’s dull rainbow eyes darted away, and he refused to make eye contact as Rax looked at the scars on the left side of his face. They were horrible, ugly scars, cutting down his eyebrow, over his eye, down his cheek and streaking across his plump lips. There were scars on his chest and stomach, from someone cutting into him. Scars on his wrists, his thighs, his stomach. A low rumbling started to rise from Rax’s chest as he looked at each and every scar, carved into the fey purposely. 

Moving quicker and more roughly than he meant to, he lifted Jake off his cock and dropped him onto his knees on the bed. He loomed over him, voice caught in a choking sound, as he stared at Jake’s back.

No wings.

His fey wings were gone.

They had been carved and cut from his back, which was covered in huge, but precise scars. Rax’s growl filled the room, vibrating through his chest, making his muscles swell and steam as rage pumped through him. For Jake to be so horribly mutilated, and for his wings to have not grown back, meant all this had been done before he had become immortal.

“See?” Jake whimpered as he knelt on the bed, head down and hands fisting the blankets. “I told you that you wouldn’t want me.”


	3. Comfort Sex and Food

Rax stared at Jake, who was shaking with such intensity that his teeth were chattering. Sickness and anger boiled inside of him. Even if Jake hadn’t been his mate, Rax would have felt absolutely furious. Who did this to someone before they became immortal? Jake was young, _so_ young, and for this mutilation to have occurred when he was unable to heal...

Realizing that his anger was only fueling Jake’s fear, Rax closed his eyes and bowed his head. He traced the scars on the fey’s back with his lips, running his tongue over the rough flesh. He massaged his hand down the knobs of Jake’s spine, down to his ass, which was dripping with his seed.

“Who did this, Jake?” Rax asked as he pet his hands over Jake’s shaking body in an attempt to calm him. “Tell me and I will bring you their head.”

Jake wasn’t sure how he expected Rax to react, but it wasn’t this way. Without his wings he couldn’t trace, his magic was severely limited and he healed slowly. He remained where he was, kneeling on the bed, with the large demon behind him, touching him so gently with his mouth and hands.

“It doesn’t matter,” he finally said. “It was a long time ago.”

Twenty years was not long, Rax wanted to argue, but now wasn’t the time. He needed to comfort and protect his mate, and he knew of only one place to do it. He stood and picked Jake up, holding him to his chest, and traced. Blue fire rushed over them, and a moment later they were standing in a house, very similar to the mountain home he had given Elijah and Amon, only much larger and nicer. 

Jake flinched in surprise. “Where did you bring me?”

He set Jake down on his feet. “This is my home,” he explained. “My main home.”

Jake turned and looked out the nearest window. All he could see were massive evergreen trees for miles. “Are we still on Earth?”

“Yes,” Rax said as he stood back, staring at Jake’s naked body. The sight of so many scars made him ill. Each one, other than the scars on his wrists from obvious restraints, was purposefully carved, each move of the knife made to bring maximum pain. The way his wings had been removed had been done with the precision of a surgeon, in order to fully harvest them down to the last root. The pain Jake must have gone through was unbelievable. No wonder he had been hiding for so long and devoted every ounce of his magic to appearing human.

Jake started to shiver and turned around. He was dirty and sweaty from their mating, and felt far too exposed. “So am I trapped here now? I can’t trace without my wings.”

“You’re not my prisoner,” Rax said quickly, “I brought you here because I had to make sure you were safe. This place is protected by heavy wards, no one can find it. You’re the only outsider, other than those that warded it, to ever step foot here. No one can get to you here. I have to protect you.”

Because he was twenty-years too late in keeping his mate safe. 

Jake stared up at the massive red demon, who was staring at him with a mixture of determination and desperation. He meant it, didn’t he? When Rax looked at him he felt his alpha instincts surge, telling him to protect his mate. Jake shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. “Do you expect me to just walk around here naked?”

Rax laughed softly. “I can go retrieve some clothing from your apartment if you wanted to use the shower.” He could see his seed dried between Jake’s legs and on his thighs, and while he loved knowing that his mate was marked by him, he couldn’t imagine that it was very comfortable.

“You’re leaving me?” Jake asked, and immediately hated how desperate he sounded. He quickly backpedaled. “I mean—you’ll come right back, right?”

Rax remembered not that long ago lecturing Amon on the importance of staying together after bonding. He shook his head. “Of course I’m not leaving. Come on, love.” He lead Jake to the nearest bathroom, and went to start the water in the large, walk-in shower. He looked back at Jake, who was looking around at the fine woodwork, carved marble and the crystal lights above. But when Jake stood in front of a floor length mirror, he froze.

Rax had to stop himself from going to Jake’s side the moment the fey’s eyes filled with tears. Was this the first time he had seen his real self in so many years?

He watched as Jake traced over every scar, touched his pointed ears, leaned close to look into his own iridescent eyes. Tears ran down his face as he reached back and felt the scars on his back. He whimpered, running his hands through his hair, before he touched the jagged, ugly scar on his face. He closed his eyes--

Rax felt a rush of magic in the air and gasped, “Please, don’t.”

Jake turned around. He had been seconds away from calling his glamour, because he couldn’t stand to see himself this way. He was too thin, too pale, too damaged. He rubbed at the tears pouring down his flushed face. “Why not?” He asked brokenly.

Rax approached him slowly. “I know what you must see,” he said gently, and reached out to cup his face, “but I think you’re beautiful.”

“You have to say that,” Jake said with a little choking sound. “You were stupid enough to let me complete the bond. You’re stuck with me.”

“Mate, I didn’t just let you, because I was ready to _beg you_ ,” Rax insisted. He caressed Jake’s flushed face and leaned in to kiss away his tears. 

“It’s just Fate—“

“When we were first together, I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to keep you,” Rax said. “Before I knew you were mine, before we were even naked, I wanted to be with you. You’ve captured me under your spell, Jake, even before Fate stepped up.”

Jake let out a sob. He stepped forward into the demon’s embrace and let the spell he had been summoning fall away. Rax sighed and buried his face in Jake’s hair, inhaling his strong, fragrant scent. Did all summer fey smell this way? Rax recalled them smelling often like summer and harsh heat, but he had never smelled someone so sweet and pure. 

“Come,” he encouraged, taking Jake’s hand and leading him to the large shower. Hot water sprayed down on them and he watched as Jake tilted his head up, letting the water wash over his body. Rax stood back, just watching, as Jake washed his hair and then cleaned up, his hands gliding over his flushed, tanned skin, and over puffy pink scars. The muscles in his back flexed as he leaned over to wash his legs and up his thighs. Then, the fey turned to look at him.

“What are you doing?” Jake asked as he straightened up. Rax’s eyes were dark and he was half-way hard. 

“Just watching you,” Rax said with a shrug. “You’re quite lovely.”

Jake laughed, squeezing the soapy loofa between his hands. “I really wish you would stop saying that.”

Rax cocked his head. “Why?”

“Because it’s not true?” Jake said as he looked up at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the compliments, I really do, but this,” he gestured to his scars, “there’s no beauty in this.”

“Jake…”

“You know…” he closed his eyes as emotions swelled up inside him. He felt himself choke up and new tears started to run down his cheeks, washed away by the shower spray, “I don’t even remember what my wings looked like. Does that make me horrible?”

Rax stepped forward and dropped down to one knee. He grasped Jake’s shoulders and leaned close, until Jake met his eyes. “No, it does not, my beautiful mate. The only horrible one is the monster that did this to you. And whenever you are ready tell me about it, I will hunt them down, and present you with their head.”

“I don’t deserve you,” he hiccuped.

“I had given up that I would ever find you,” Rax said as he ran his hand through Jake’s wet hair. Under the water it shimmered, as did his skin, and his eyes appeared brighter. Rax knew that there was a lake and a beach hidden in the forest, at the base of the mountains where waterfalls carried freshwater down from the peaks. He decided to take Jake there as soon as the sun was up. “For hundreds of years I simply gave up, believing that I was not to find you. And mate, I tell you this, I am not disappointed. I am not ashamed. I am so incredibly proud of you, because I don’t think I could have gone through what you did, and came out so strong, and beautiful, and determined.”

“You give me too much credit,” he gasped.

“Impossible,” he whispered as he leaned in closer and brushed their lips together. Jake pulled back for only a second, before leaning for more. When Jake dropped the loofah so he could wrap his arms around Rax and press against him, the red demon pulled pulled the fey into his lap.

…

Jake was asleep. It had taken a round in the shower and one more in bed before the fey had finally relaxed enough to pass out. Rax had to give it to him though, he had quite the stamina and strength, despite how thin and weak he looked. Now he paced through the house in just a pair of sweatpants with his cellphone lifted to his ear.

“That’s pretty shit timing,” Mordichai laughed. “You find your mate while on a job with a time limit.”

“I’m aware,” Rax said. “Even more reason to get it done as soon as possible. Did you find anything?”

The demon on the other line hummed. “Maybe.”

“I’m already paying you.”

“Maybe I want more?”

“Maybe you want to keep your head?”

The demon’s laughter was light. “All right, all right. According to a lovely witch in the Raven Claw Coven—coincidence, she assured me—that three witches have gone missing in the last three months. The only thing ever found was maybe a shoe, some hair, maybe splatters of blood. You know, typical evidence of a murder or kidnapping.”

“Considering this witch is supposedly a cannibal, probably murder,” Rax said as he ran his hand through his long black hair, which he had taken out of it’s braids and brushed. “Did these witches have any special gifts or powers?”

“My contact didn’t say that, just that two were very powerful, and one was a young novice.”

“The novice was the first victim, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Mordichai asked.

Rax frowned. “This Meg went into hiding for twenty years, in a wasteland. Her first victim was someone weak and easy to kill, but still someone with power, then she moved onto bigger targets. She’s going to keep doing this until someone stops her.”

“That someone being you,” Mordichai said.

“Well, I am getting paid a mountain of gold to do it,” he said. “Can you tell me anything else?”

“No, that’s all she would give me. If you want more information, you’ll have to visit the coven yourself.”

Rax turned, looking out the window. It was late into the night and the forest was dark and quiet. Clouds blocked out the moon and stars, and there were no other sources of light for hundreds of miles. The magic around the house made it invisible to outside eyes, so the light from the windows didn’t reach past the glass.

“Thanks Mordichai, next time I see you, I’ll pay you,” he said.

“Bring your mate around when you do,” the demon suggested, “I want to meet him.”

Rax laughed. “Yeah, sure, I’ll do that.”

“Fuck you.”

Rax smirked as he ended the call and set his phone on the charger in the kitchen. He walked back to the bedroom, where Jake was still asleep in the center of the large, custom-made bed. He had kicked off most of the blankets, which now only covered him from the waist down. In the corner of the bedroom a fire burned in a large stone fireplace, keeping the room warm and gently lit.

He laid down slowly, as not to wake his mate, and spooned up behind him. Jake responded by wiggling back against him, until they were perfectly tucked together. Then the fey let out a tiny, contented sigh, and Rax felt his heart melt. He had made fun of Amon for being brought to his knees so easily by the sweet Elijah, but he understood it now, because there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Jake. 

Tucking his face into his sweet smelling hair, Rax closed his eyes and let himself fall into the most restful sleep of his life.

…

Prying his way out of the demon’s embrace had proved difficult, but not impossible. Jake had then opened the closet and found a long t-shirt to wear, and then left the bedroom. He walked around the house, impressed but not at all surprised. Demons did love their luxurious homes (or dank caves in cursed realms surrounded by boiling tar pits and sand-traps, so he was happy his demon had good taste at least,) and he had to admit, the view was amazing. Jake went to the kitchen first, opening cupboards and the large refrigerator. Mostly red meats, off-world vegetables and fruits, and lots of wines and demon grog. When Jake saw a bowl of bright blue fruit that were shaped like grapes, his heart did an explosive leap.

He grabbed the bowl and pulled a small, round plump fruit off the stem and popped it into his mouth. The fruit was sweet and juicy, and made his tongue tingle. He moaned and ate another. How long had it been since he’d had fruit from the moon vine? He took the bowl of fruit with him as he walked around the house, looking through every door. There was only one master bedroom, but at least three bathrooms, a work-out room, a dungeon, a massive trophy room, a home theater, and multiple libraries that looked over the amazing view of the forest and mountains.

Jake found it all beautiful and rich, but also, incredibly sad. Rax had really never brought anyone else here, ever? Wasn’t it lonely? Or did he not spend a lot of time here? He had said it was his main home, maybe he spent most of time in other homes, located around the Otherworlds, with friends and bed-mates.

He found a staircase leading up to a single large door. Leaving the empty bowl on the floor outside and he pushed it open, causing the door to creak. Inside was a combination of another trophy room, and armory, only the trophies here were not like the ones he found downstairs. In the downstairs room it had been all gold and jewels, crowns and decorative armor; rich furs and hand-woven cloaks and throws. In here it was darker, evidence of the violent life Rax lead. There were skulls on the walls, a trophy cabinet of bones, and weapons of every kind. He tiptoed around the room, grazing his fingers over the skull of a massive minotaur. He examined a collection of swords on the wall, made for a demon with Rax’s strength. There was a war hammer, war axes, bows and arrows; spears and knives and everything in between.

Jake walked over to a bow carved out of the white wood of an ancient heart tree. He trailed his fingers over the carving on the bow, tested the elasisty of the string before he picked it up. There was a quiver with arrows and he grabbed a handful before he crossed the large room, walking through a archway, to a training room. There were targets set up here, and he stood in front of one.

With a deep breath Jake nocked the arrow and lifted it. He breathed slowly, positioned his feet, and focused on the target ahead of him. His arm shook as he held it, and he cursed, taking a moment to readjust. He lifted the bow again, taking a deep breath, and released the arrow.

_Thud!_ The arrow hit the target, dead-center. Before he could celebrate he was startled by someone clapping their hands. He turned around, heart in his throat, staring at Rax. The red-skinned demon was leaning his shoulder in the doorway and clapped his hands once more before crossing his arms over his chest. He was wearing only a pair of sweatpants. There was a bright twinkle in his eyes, and he was smiling proudly.

“Well done,” he praised.

Jake blushed hotly. “Lucky shot,” he said, glancing back at the target. He then looked back and held up the bow. “Sorry.”

Rax stepped into the room and motioned for Jake to put his hand down. “It’s yours,” he said simply. “Everything here is yours. Take whatever you want.”

Jake looked at the bow, before looking back to Rax, who was staring at him intently. He looked down at himself, realizing he was only wearing one of the demon’s oversized t-shirts. “I don’t suppose I can get some clothes?”

“So you want to stay here?” Rax asked eagerly.

Jake shrugged. “As long as you’re here with me. I was thinking that… it might do me some good to… to just kind of reintroduce myself into this world. I… I need to… to accept who I am. I can’t do that if I go back to hiding as a human.”

Rax nodded, understanding. “We can go to your apartment and get whatever you want. You also need to tell me what food you like to eat. Unless you just want me to stock the fridge with moon fruit?”

He blushed. “Last I knew, it was very expensive, can you afford that?”

Rax grinned at him. “Anything you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Jake hummed playfully. “Anything, huh?”

“We can go anywhere, do anything. I have a job I need to finish on Earth, and then we’ll be free to do whatever you want.”

“Speaking of jobs,” Jake said, gesturing around, “what do you do? I have an idea.”

“Bounty hunter,” he said, then shrugged. “Of the sorts. I’ll bring you whatever head you want, for a price.”

He laughed. “Things are making a lot more sense, suddenly,” he said. “What are you hunting on Earth?”

“A goblin called Lord Novo hired me to hunt a witch,” he said with a dismissive shrug. “It should be an easy-- Jake?”

Jake had dropped the bow and gone completely white. His iridescent eyes were huge and his body was quaking. “Wh-what witch?” he gasped.

Rax frowned, stepping toward his terrified mate slowly. “Jake, it’s okay--”

“Meg is here, isn’t she?” he croaked as he backed away. “Oh _god--no--_ ”

Rax reached for Jake before he could collapse. But Rax himself swayed slightly, because cold dread filled him, quickly replaced by burning hot rage. Of course, how could he have overlooked it? Twenty years ago a wicked witch with a taste for blood and flesh had worked for a goblin who dealt in black market trade and tortured on the side.

He cupped Jake’s face and stared down at him as his skin steamed and his horns sharpened. “Their heads are yours.”

...

Jake sat outside in a plush chair on the wrap-around porch, looking at the trees. It had started to rain hours ago, and the sound of rain pattering off the roof and trees was a soothing balm to his pain. Birds were chirping and singing and just an hour ago, a giant white horse with wings had landed in the clearing to graze.

After overcoming his initial heart attack, Jake had turned to the open door to his right and had asked, excitedly, “When did the Pegasus come back?”

Seeing the beautiful creature made his heart beat faster and his anxiety diminish. Rax had caught him up on the recent events with the destruction of the warlord Skoll, the Pegasus returning, and the discovery of a half-Valkyrie male. Rax knew little of the Courts, but that wasn’t such a surprise, non-fey were rarely informed on events within the kingdoms. Jake had no family to look for, so he had little interest in what was going on in the Far Lands. There was only one person be wanted to see, but he had no idea where to even start.

“You would like Elly,” Rax said as he stepped outside with two bowls of food balanced in his hand. He handed one to Jake before he sat down next to him. The chair wasn’t quite large enough for them both, but Jake had expressed he liked it that way, and had sat against the demon. “He’s sweet.”

Jake looked at the food; Rax had traced into the city to pick up Chinese takeout. He picked out a piece of chicken with chopsticks. “I’m not sure if I’m ready yet,” he said, “knowing she’s here too… I’m just not sure if I’m ready to step back into it now.”

“Considering Elly is new to the world, I don’t think it would be a massive change,” he said, “but I won’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want.”

Jake thought about it as he ate. The Pegasus continued to graze, while lifting her wings every few minutes to shake out the rain. After his breakdown over knowing that Meg was back and that Rax had been hired by Novo, Jake had curled up Rax’s arms and let the demon comfort him with soft touches and the promise of vengeance. He was feeling exhausted, he was still pretty terrified, but he also felt a small glimmer for hope.

“You say he’s nice?”

“Very,” Rax said. And if he was going to go hunting, he couldn’t possibly leave Jake vulnerable and alone, even in his home. He hoped he could leave his mate with Amon and Elijah, where he would be safe. He also felt that Jake very much needed a friend. “His mate on the other hand is… a dick. But he won’t bother you.”

Jake smiled softly. “I’ll think on it. There’s another person I’d like to see but I don’t even no where to start.”

“I have ways of finding people,” Rax said. “Is he family? A friend?”

“An old lover.” At Rax’s flinch, Jake laughed and covered his mouth with his hand. The red demon shook his head before flicking one of Jake’s pointed ears. “I’m joking! No, we were kids together. He’s not fey. He may not even be alive. When I’m ready, will you help me?”

Rax nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of his head before he started to eat. They had time. Rax was going to have to rework his plan for killing Meg, because now he had a goblin to kill as well. The problem was that Lord Novo wasn’t an ordinary goblin; he was powerful, he had people loyal to him, and he ran a business. He would have to step carefully, and make sure the goblin had no idea that his head was now on the itinerary.


	4. Not All Witches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I missed replying to some of your comments, but I do read them all, and they keep me writing. Thank you xoxo

The shackles on his wrists were unforgiving, they bit into his skin, making him bleed and cry until he was hoarse. When his knees gave out the weight of his body falling wrenched a whimper from him. It should have been a sob or a yell, but he couldn’t muster up the energy. He closed his eyes, dehydration making it impossible for him to shed tears anymore. His body was slick with blood from open wounds that would normally have healed by now, but the combination of iron shackles and the loss of his wings had drained him of nearly all his strength and magic.

Around him he could hear muffled voices, a television, occasionally music or shouting, but they couldn’t hear him because of an enchantment on the room. He rolled his head up, staring at the water stained ceiling and burned out light-bulbs in the dusty chandelier. The walls were dirty with peeling wallpaper, and the ground beneath his toes was a plastic sheet, so he didn’t bleed all over the floor. He looked down at it, at his bare toes which were missing all their nails. 

He closed his eyes as another wave of crippling pain made its way up through his fragile, starved body.

The chains were iron, and it was hilariously effective, making his skin blister and burn, bleed continuously, and making him ill. If he remained chained like this for much longer, the poisonous effects would kill him before that witch could finish eating him alive.

His head snapped up to the sound of footsteps, slow and steady, stepping across shag carpet in the hallway. His eyes focused on the door handle, knowing it was going to twist open any moment, and she would be back, with her knife and her insane smile, and she would again be cutting into him--

Jake sat up with a gasp. His skin was pale and covered in sweat, his hair plastered to his forehead and the back of his neck. The old scars on his body ached, to the point that he checked every single one to make sure that he wasn’t bleeding. Then he looked around, blinking, before realization hit him that he was in Rax’s bed and not his tiny apartment in Ironwood City.

He was also alone. Jake looked down at the empty spot in the massive bed. Rax had left early in the night, to hunt down leads on Meg. He looked at his wrists, at the horrible scarring caused by iron restraints. He rubbed his thumb over the rough flesh. Just last night Rax had worshipped every single scar, his lips soft and tongue wet, traveling over every old ache and wound. A demon like Rax didn’t care about scars; he was covered in them himself. All he cared about was making Jake feel good.

He frowned and shoved off the blankets before standing. Yesterday Rax had traced him home so he could get clothes and other essential items he would need while staring at the demon’s isolate, enchanted house. He went to the dresser that Rax had cleaned out for him, and started going through his clothing. He rubbed his hand over the scar on the back of his neck and paused.

Rax thought he needed protecting, and while it was sweet that his seven-foot demon mate wanted to protect him, it was also incredibly frustrating. Jake knew how it looked: he had been tortured and mutilated, but he had been younger then, he had been mortal and separated from his clan, which had all either perished or was scattered in the goblin attack. He was an immortal summer fey, and he could sure as hell fight. Years ago he had been talented with a bow and staff, and he was sure with some practice he could be once again.

Thankfully his mate was a collector or weapons, and had said ‘what is mine is yours.’ 

He pulled on sweatpants and a tank top before walking through the large house to the weapons vault. There he took the white bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a short sword that felt right in his hands. However, instead of staying inside he found that he couldn’t resist the call of the sun. The morning was bright, the sky blue, the air clean and pure and everything was so green and untouched.

He set up a few yards away from the house. After he hung up a target on a tree, he went and dropped down into the grass and lay with his arms and legs splayed out. Without his glamour applied the sun’s rays penetrated his skin, seeping deep into him, and recharging him. He felt himself growing stronger, and he was bulldozed by adrenaline and endorphins. The blue and purple highlights in his hair brightened and spread, and his skin started to tan. Any cuts or bruises on his skin healed and all his aches and pains numbed.

He let out a heavy, content sigh and opened his eyes which were bright and rainbow. His skin shimmered slightly and he felt more alive than he had in years. Feeling energized and pushed to his feet. He could do this, he would show Rax that he wouldn’t be left at home like a damsel. He picked up the bow and approached the target.

…

Mordichai unfolded his massive grey wings as he and Rax left the bar. “Well, that was a bust.”

Rax rubbed his forehead. He could still hear the raucous laughter inside the bar from the witches and furies he had just attempted to talk to. Unfortunately they weren’t willing to give him any information, not even on Meg the Cruel, and the more inebriated demons had been focused only on trying to rub their horns.

Which Mordichai had been thrilled with, Rax not so much, and had snarled at several witches to keep their hands to themselves.

He had a wonderful little mate at home waiting for him, thank you very much. And right now that was the only place he wanted to be.

“What was the other hot tip you had?” He asked the other demon.

Mordichai, a Shadow demon, pulled out his phone. He was as tall as Rax, but looked wider because of the massive bat-like wings that rose from his shoulders. His skin was a deep, charcoal grey and he had ram-like horns. His hair was white, long and braided like most demons, and his eyes a nightmarish red.

He hummed. “Just a witch martini bar in Ironwood.”

Rax fidgeted. He wanted to go back to Jake. He hadn’t liked leaving the vulnerable fey alone, especially when he couldn’t trace.

Mordichai grinned. “How about you bring that mate of yours?”

He frowned. “What? Why would I do that?”

“Why not? Martini bar, Otherkin, he might have fun and we can question for Meg.” He shrugged. “And I can meet him. Since you won’t invite me to your house. You’re a horrible friend. How many times have I loaned out my sofa?”

“Mordichai, I can’t just bring him to a bar of witches. A witch is what hurt him, remember?”

“ _A_ witch,” he reminded the other demon. “A very specific witch. Not all witches are like that. He might want a drink and a night out. I’ve been to Lush, it’s nice.”

Rax frowned. “I’ll ask him.”

“Great!” The large demon said. “I’ll meet you there at eight.”

Mordichai disappeared in a rush of smoke and wind, and Rax traced moments after, blue fire spreading over him like a wave. In a couple seconds he was home, standing in his kitchen. 

“Jake?” He called out. When no one answered he set his sword and belt on the counter. The dishes had been done, and there was a bowl of fruit on the counter and the package of cookies he had picked up at the bakery last night were mostly gone. He took a cookie now and walked through the house, looking for his mate. It was only when he passed by a large window looking out front did he stop.

Jake was standing on a tree stump, balancing on one leg, with a sword in his hands. He moved his body slowly, moving from one foot to the other, standing on his tip-toes, as he moved from one pose to another. His body was lean and graceful, and Rax remembered when he first had the thought that Jake was a dancer. Each movement was slow, graceful, and he was taking deep focussed breaths. 

Quietly he stepped out the door, and couldn’t stop from marveling at his beautiful mate. Jake’s skin shimmered in the sunlight, his hair was brightly colored and shiney, and his eyes, when they locked onto Rax’s, were bright and colorful, and Rax felt captivated.

“What are you doing?” Rax asked as he approached him. He saw a target filled with arrows, and every single arrow one was near or in the bullseye. 

“Practicing,” Jake said as he stood up straight. He was hot and sweaty, but it felt good to work his muscles like he was. Not to mention the confidence he felt from using both sword and bow. His years of dance, tai-chi and yoga were paying off as well, and he found he was a lot more flexible than he realized.

“I hope you aren’t getting any crazy ideas,” Rax said as he picked an arrow out of the target.

He frowned. “And what crazy idea do you think I have?”

“Going after Meg.” He waited for an answer, and not receiving one, turned around. Jake was staring at him seriously. “Jake…”

“I’m not made of glass,” Jake said. “I’m not helpless. I know it looks that way, I know _I_ look that way, but I am not weak. I’m not.”

He wanted to argue of course. Rax knew that fey looked fragile, but he had had his ass handed him in a fight more than once by a fey. But those fey had their wings, full use of their magic, and had years of training. Jake may have trained twenty years ago before his abduction, but he had been hiding as a human since then. He had to keep Jake safe, but he also wouldn’t take away his freedom. So if Jake wanted to pick up his sword and bow and fight, he would be next to him.

“I apologize,” he said.

It wasn’t what Jake had expected. He smiled happily and sat down on the tree stump. “How did your hunting go?”

“Struck out,” he grunted. “Mordichai suggested a bar called Lush, it’s—“

“Oh, the martini bar,”Jake interrupted. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

“I was going to meet Mordichai there at eight,” he continued slowly. “And…I was wondering if you would want to come with?”

Jake sat up straight. “Really?”

“I know it’s primarily a witch bar, but other demons frequent it,” he said. “It’s up to you—“

“Yes.”

Rax reached up to rub on of his horns nervously. “And you’re sure? I don’t want to put you in any uncomfortable situation.”

Jake stood up and swung his sword around easily. “I’ll be fine, Rax. In fact, I think it’ll be fun. Not that this place isn’t great, but I’ve been feeling a little cabin fever, and I really miss talking to other people.” He had called his human friends, and had reluctantly quit his job, but he did promise to come back if he ever had the chance. But Jake knew he wouldn’t be going back into the human world to live like he had been, but after today, he knew he wanted to get back into dancing. It was just a matter of finding a place that he could practice without his glamour. 

“And if we’re being honest, I’d love to cut off that bitch’s head.”

Rax felt his heart flutter and grinned down at Jake. His little mate was fierce, and maybe what Jake needed was to get his hands bloody. “All right,” he said. “Then tonight we’ll go out, and we’ll hunt together.”

“And besides,” Jake added, “we haven’t really had a chance to get to know each other. This might be fun.”

Rax agreed and leaned down to kiss his lips, before he turned and walked back to the house, his head held high and horns shining in the sunlight, which made Jake feel a warm rush of excitement. Fate may have paired them, and he admittedly he had been incredibly pissed off about that, but he was starting to see that there was more to Rax than meets the eye. Other than his drop-dead gorgeous looks and horns of a god, he was kind, thoughtful, determined and open-minded. He could have acted like an alpha-caveman and insisted Jake stay safe at home, but instead he was open to Jake hunting with him.

He felt more alive in that moment than he had in years. Which was also completely terrifying. This was absolutely crazy! But he had a massive demon for a mate, if Jake froze in the moment, he had to trust that Rax would be there to back him up. 

He turned his attention to the arrows in the target, and reached down to pick up the bow. He wasn’t as weak as he looked.

He would prove that.

…

Jake took a deep breath and fidgeted. Rax had traced them inside the magical barrier outside of Lush, but before they could go inside his phone rang and he stepped to the side to take it. Jake adjusted his belt, and the short sword that hung there, before he looked up. It was just past eight at night and the city was just starting to darken, and was glittering with artificial lights. Cars, buses, and taxicabs filled the road beyond the barrier. There was a bar and a strip club just across the road and there were people loitering outside smoking and talking.

Rax ended the phone call and turned around, smiling at Jake who had lifted his phone up and was looking at his reflection. He wasn’t wearing his glamour, only putting gel in his hair before they left. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a denim jacket over the top, and a pair of black skinny jeans that he filled out wonderfully. He was beautiful and delicate, but the bandaged gash on his ribs from a swipe of Jake’s sword earlier reminded Rax that his mate was also quite dangerous.

And fuck, if that wasn’t a massive turn-on?

“Well, Amon and Elijah can’t make it tonight,” Rax said as he approached the fey. “Elijah’s art is being featured in an art exhibit tonight. Elijah was thinking maybe brunch tomorrow?”

“That sounds fun,” he said with a nervous shuffle. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful,” he said with a gentle smile.

“You look too hot,” Jake complained as he stared up at the demon. Rax was wearing a open leather vest, showing off his muscles, scars, tattoos and a fresh bandage on his ribs from Jake’s sword earlier. He was wearing leather trousers and boots that added height he absolutely did not need. There was a long sword at his hip and he was wearing black, fingerless leather gloves. Jake had braided the demon’s hair after showering, and his horns were polished and gleaming. He frowned. “Some drunk witch is going to try to lick those horns.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re armed,” Rax said with a blush. “You can protect my virtue.”

“Virtue!” Jake laughed as he started to walk toward the bar’s front door. “My dear demon, you haven’t been innocent in thousands of years.”

Rax held the door for his mate and the two walked inside. It lived up to its name, Lush was absolutely extravagant and gleaming, with lots of rich, dark textures mixed with hardwoods. The ceiling was lit with floating balls of light that provided the right amount of ambience. There was a large bar with a wall of lighted glass shelves behind it, holding bottles of liquor and spirits from all different realms and hells. The seating was spread out between plush booths and couches, and smaller tables with tall bar stools at them. Everything was grand and shiny and Jake could smell the magic in the air.

Before they went to find a place to sit down, Rax turned to look down at his mate. Jake wasn’t wearing his glamour, his scars were bared for all to see, but his afternoon in the sun had left him glowing. His skin, while still more pale than a typical summer fey, had a shimmer to it, and his thick hair was styled in an elegant modern Mohawk: the bright colors of blue and purple glorious against the brown. His eyes were rainbow iridescent and dazzling. 

Jake tilted his head up. While Rax couldn’t stop praising him, he was still feeling self-conscious. “Where should we sit?”

Rax turned and gestures to a booth in the corner, where a large demon already sat. His skin was grey and he had massive wings folded against his back. His face was handsome, yet rugged, with a dented nose from too many breaks in his youth. Like most alpha demons, his long white hair was braided, and he had a perfect set of ram-like horns that framed his face.

“That’s Mordichai,” he explained, and as he did, the big demon spotted them and waved them over. “We work together.”

“Are you friends?” Jake asked. It was still early in the evening and there weren’t many people here. He saw no witches, only a couple of Valkyrie and a lone gorgon at the bar.

“We’re…” he started, and paused as the demon stood and greet them. “We work together.”

“I think you’re friends,” Jake laughed as the gargoyle-like demon bowed to him. 

“I’ve heard so much about you, Jake,” Mordichai said. “It’s my pleasure.”

Jake smiled and bowed back. “Nice to meet you.”

Rax shooed the large demon away as the three sat down. Mordichai had already ordered an impressive tray of different drinks, including a hard grog for himself. “Have you gathered any information yet?”

“Other than learning that the Goddess Ariadne is going to be hosting a massive contest, no,” he said. His red eyes sparkled as he looked at Jake, who was softly alluring, with cute features that, in Mordichai’s opinion, were not marred by his scars. They were horrible, yes, and caused by a torturous hand, but the story they told the Shadow demon was that the fey was much stronger than he looked. He had gone through a horrible experience when he was young, but he wasn’t broken, he was tenacious.

Jake had taken one of the delicate glasses from the silver platter was sipping it and practically purred. He tasted blackberries, pineapple juice and rum, and of course, gin. It was sweet and delicious and the sugar had his blood thrumming. There was also an assortment of finger foods and fruit to choose from. “Sounds like a fun way to die in a labyrinth,” he finally said as he reached for a chocolate-covered strawberry.

“My thoughts exactly,” Rax agreed as he lounged back, arm extended over the back of the booth behind Jake. Martinis were not his usual forte, but it hadn’t stopped him from picking up a tall glass filled with pink liquid and garnished with raspberries and mint. He sipped it and hummed. “Mordichai, what could the prize possibly be that she could lure people into willingly participating?”

The Shadow demon grinned, showing his teeth. “The Caduceus wand of Asclepius.”

Jake almost dropped his drink. The wand wasn’t an actual wand, it was a staff carved from the All Tree, with a mummified serpent wrapped around it and jammed its jaws a massive pearl that had been harvested from the last great clams. It healed all wounds and diseases, and could also take the life of anything when used maliciously, even great gods.

“It’s—a joke, right?” Jake asked in surprise. “How did she get it?”

“She claims she won it in poker,” he said with a shrug before he threw back the rest of his drink. “It’ll be placed in the middle of her greatest labyrinth, and the winner gets it. Do you know what people would pay for that? Imagine the riches!”

“You’re going to die,” Rax argued. “Ariadne’s greatest labyrinth is the entire world of Chartres. No one has ever solved it.”

“Is there an out?” Jake asked.

Mordichai sheepishly shrugged. “No.”

“You know that every soul that dies in her labyrinths is then devoured by her, right?” Rax said. “This has to be some trick to re-power herself.” Many of the old gods had lived eons being powered by the worshiped by races both mortal and immortal. But as time went on, many were abandoned, forgotten, or so cruel to their subjects that they simply moved on. Civilizations fell, other gods came in and wiped out the old or went as far to abolish the god’s worshipers. Gods like Ariadne had once been worshiped by mortal men, but that was lifetimes ago, and they were forced to find other ways to devour souls and energy.

“I thought people lived in Chartres?” Jake asked as he popped a grape in his mouth.

“There are mortals,” Mordichai acknowledged. “There are towns spread throughout the maze, even fields of crops and for livestock. There are also Ariadne’s own disciples, her Minotaur and even cyclops. They’re all free to come and go, but those exits will be forbidden for contestants.”

“Have any of these people ever found the center of the maze?” Rax asked.

“Um, no,” Mordichai admitted as he reached for another drink.

Jake cocked and eyebrow. “So the people that live there can’t find the center, but you think you can?”

“As long as nothing kills me, I’ll happily search for a thousand years,” he said with a dismissive shrug. “And I’m not easy to kill.”

Jake easily believed that. Shadow demons were big, built like tanks, and had skin that was nearly impossible to pierce. They could trace, but they could also fly with their massive wings, which gave them the advantage when visiting worlds tainted by magics that restricted tracing and magic mirrors, which this contest would most definitely do. Jake knew from childhood tales that the labyrinth of Chartres' hedge and stone walls stretched into the sky, so he couldn't fly up into the sky to find the center, but he could fly over anything that was grounded. “So if… say someone else finds the center and claims the prize, what happens to the rest of the contestants?”

“We’re all free to go,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m going to find it.”

Rax grunted and finished off his drink and reached for a strawberry. “I’ll miss you.”

Jake shook his head and downed his drink, before turning his attention to the rest of the bar. It was filling up now with a large assortment of Otherkin, but mostly witches as far as he could tell. A group sat at one of the larger tables, cackling and howling with laughter while they drank. A large male gorgon attempted to interject, but was quickly chased off by one of the women.

He frowned. None of them resembled Meg the Cruel in the slightest. They used magic and glamour to keep their appearance how they wanted it, but it was their personality that Jake was paying attention to. They were vibrant with life and full of laughter. Two skipped off together to dance, and another ordered a round of drinks. He could see that they were playing cards and sniggering loudly as they made up their own rules. 

Jake was still watching them when another group entered, and he found himself standing up in surprise and shouting.

“Cinder!?”

In the group of three was a Valkyrie with a mess of flame-colored hair and purple eyes, and a witch dressed in the most cliche goth attire one could ever throw together, but it was the young male halfbreed that turned at the shout.

He was tall and lithe, with black hair that had blonde roots that was pulled up into a complicated, braided bun. He had short pointed ears and sea-green eyes. His extremely pale skin, adorned with webs of blue veins, was a clear give-away that he sunlight deprived. He had no horns or tail, but he had small fangs, visible when the halfbreed’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Jake?” He shouted back with equal shock. He moved in the blink of an eye, one moment he was with his friends, the next he was in front of the table, staring at Jake, until his view was blocked by two massive, growling bodies. He showed his fangs as his eyes flickered black for a moment. “Get out of my way, demons.”

Jake jumped up in surprise. “Rax! It’s okay, let him by!”

“How do you know this halfbreed?” Rax growled. The smaller demon had moved fast, and the air around him felt cold. He didn’t like the scent the man threw off; old blood and wilted roses. He smelled like death and funeral flowers. His growl deepened.

“He’s my friend,” Jake insisted. He stood on the bench, stepped onto the table, and slipped between the two demons. Cinder had stepped back and pulled his attention from Mordichai, whom he had been scowling at hatefully.

“Your friend?” Mordichai said in surprise. “ _Him?_ ”

Jake was done entertaining them, and he easily hopped off the table and landed lightly on the floor, walking between the two demons. He skipped up to the other man. “Cinder—“ he said again as tears filled his eyes. “It’s—“

He was cut off in a gasp as the halfbreed grabbed him into a crushing hug. “I can’t believe you’re alive!” Cinder cried out and lifted him off the ground to spin him. “I had heard rumors of what happened to you, to your clan—I can’t believe you’re here!”

Jake squeezed him back. Cinder smelled like seduction and magic, with a hint of mint and blood. When they parted, he gulped as the halfbreed stared at the scars on his face. He sighed. “I escaped,” he finally said with a nervous smile, “or, most of me did.”

Cinder had felt the absence of wings when they were hugging. It wasn’t unusual for more magical creatures to be taken by darker forces and killed for their magic, body parts, or both, but for an entire clan of fey to go missing had been a shock. Some had ended up back in the Summer Court, but the King had bigger problems to worry about, and nothing had been done to find the missing demons. Cinder had searched for his friend for nearly a year before his friends had pulled him away, telling him that if he didn’t stop, he would drive himself crazy. 

He reached out, touching the scar on the fey’s face. “You’re still so beautiful,” he sighed.

Jake blushed, but took the compliment with a grain of salt. Cinder was a stunner himself and a massive flirt, but with his mixed blood it was impossible for him to not be, and it all came as second nature. “Why don’t you join us? We can catch up?”

Cinder looked at the two demons hovering just behind the small fey. The big red one he didn’t know, but he was most definitely Jake’s mate by their intermingled scents. The Shadow demon was his real concern, and he gave him the evil eye. “I better not,” he said with a scowl at the big grey alpha. “I would hate for someone to lose their head.”

Mordichai unfurled his wings. “Try it, you little fuck.”

Rax looked surprised. He had never seen Mordicahi act so viciously before without any provocation. “Jake, is this the friend you asked me to find? From your childhood?”

“Yeah,” he said as he turned around. “Mordichai, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Your friend and I have a history,” Cinder said with a smug smirk. “He’s still mad that I stole his prize out from under him.”

Rax cocked an eyebrow. “This is the guy?”

Jake looked back to his friend. “What did you do, Cin?”

Cinder gave him an innocent smile. “Me? Nothing at all. We were both after the same bounty and I got there first.”

“You drugged my drink!” Mordichai snarled. “I woke up _a week later_ in a lair of goddamn banshees who had been using my blood in a ritual to awaken some old demon-god!”

Cinder laughed and Jake asked, “What did you do?”

“Well, I had to kill them all and then their fucking god rose anyway and I had to kill him, too!” He growled. “Took me a month to recover.”

Jake snorted and turned away to hide his laugh. “Cinder, that’s horrible.”

“I got three thousand gold and a silver fleece, totally worth it,” he said as he buffed his claws on his shirt. He turned around and saw his friends watching them. The witch as frowning and the Valkyrie was fingering the knife in her belt. “Want to meet my friends?”

Rax frowned in concern and stepped forward. “Jake?”

Jake turned back and reached out to take the demon’s hands. “I’ll be fine, okay? I trust Cinder. Why don’t you get Mordicahi to cool off, and then ask around for Meg. I’ll be right over there.”

Rax squirmed but nodded. He leaned down for a kiss before turning to escort the other demon away.

Jake walked with Cinder back to his table where he was introduced to Bree, a Valkyrie, and Mel, a witch. They had ordered a pitcher of strawberry margaritas and poured him a glass. He politely introduced himself and looked the two over. Bree had violet eyes, darker skin, and brightly colored hair that reminded him of fire. The witch was shorter, a bit fully, with breasts that were pushed up against her blouse. She had a pixie haircut and glasses. She was taking a selfie and sending it someone.

“So when did you land such a hunk of grade-A beef?” Cinder asked as he playfully tickled the scar on the back of the fey’s neck.

He blushed. “Not that long ago actually,” he said. 

“I had heard Rax was off the market,” Mel said with a wistful sigh. “You lucky little shit.”

“Where have you been?” Cinder asked after downing his drink. “I looked for you after your clan disappeared.”

He glanced at Mel nervously. “I don’t know if here is a good place to talk about it.”

Bree tapped her sharp nails on the tabletop. “Did a witch hurt you?”

He gulped his drink. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

Cinder licked his lips. “Can you give us a few minutes?” he asked the girls while not taking his sea-green eyes off Jake’s iridescent.

The girls faked irritation, downing their glasses before going off to dance together. Jake pursed his lips and looked down as he ran his finger through condensation on the table from the drink pitcher.

Cinder gently touched the scar on Jake’s face and tilted his face so Jake was looking at him. “Tell me who did this and I’ll kill them for you.”

They may have been apart for twenty years, but nothing had really changed. The half-vampire was still as fierce and protective as he always had been. “Cinder…” he started quietly, “Rax will take care of them.”

“They took your wings,” he hissed, and his eyes flickered black with anger. “They all deserve to die.”

“They will,” he reassured him. Jake touched his shoulder and smiled. “Rax and Mordichai have leads, and they’ll find her.”

“I’m a damn good hunter myself,” the halfbreed said, “let me help you.”

“And what about Mordichai?” He asked.

“Hey, I can behave myself,” he insisted, even as Jake gave him a skeptical look. “For you? I can do anything.”

…

“Are you sure you want to leave Jake alone with that bastard?” Mordichai growled as they stepped outside through a backdoor. The magic that hid Lush from human eyes was extended to the alley, so the two demons had no reason to call their glamour to hide themselves. Mordichai paced, wings spread wide in irritation and red eyes glowing in the shadows.

“He’ll be fine,” Rax said as he reached up to rub one of his horns. He had to trust Jake, and Jake had been absolutely elated to see the halfbreed. Even so, he still asked, “Do you know what that halfbreed is?”

“Part blood-sucker for sure,” Mordichai said. “I’ve never been able to find out what his other half is.”

“Why so determined?” he asked as he leaned back against the outer wall of the bar.

“I was hoping to find that weakness to exploit,” he admitted sheepishly. “He’s vulnerable to sunlight like most vampires, but he can trace faster than I can. Someday I’ll get him back for what he did to me, I can promise you that.”

“Not if you’re trapped in a maze for all goddamn eternity,” Rax reminded him as he turned around. A group of witches, laughing and talking, where walking down the alley towards them. He cocked his head. “Come on, let’s talk to them.”

Mordichai folded his wings back as he joined the red demon. “Do you know what I could do with that staff?”

“I’m sure the goddess will enjoy your soul when you lose your head to a minitaur,” Rax grunted. “I promise to mourn you for at least an afternoon before I raid your apartment and take that dragon skull for myself.”

Mordichai wrinkled his nose. “Do you not have any faith in me?”

“No,” he grunted before he stopped to greet the women. “Ladies, I wonder if you have a moment to help me out.”

One of the witches, tall with a curvy body and wavy, red hair, smiled at him. “I’ll help you with whatever you need, baby.”

“That’s sweet,” Rax purred with a charming smile, “but I’m after information. I’ll buy you a round inside.”

The other witches exchanged looks. “What do you want to know, demon?” she asked.

“I’m looking for information on Meg the Cruel, and I was told that someone here might know something.”

A witch in the back, with olive skin and a headful of curls, looked at him in disgust. “Why would you be looking for that hag?”

“Into vore, are we?” taunted another.

“He’s mated to another, a small fey,” interrupted a woman with white eyes. “He wants Meg’s head.”

Rax eyed the blind clairvoyant apprehensively. There was no point in denying it, the women would know if he lied. “I am hunting her,” he said. “I was hired to take her head, but I think I would be doing this world a favor, and yourselves. I know that some of your sisters have gone missing and that the cannibal is suspect.”

The group exchanged looks and the leader crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s been seen lurking down along the river,” she said. “A nymph told me that the frog population has quadrupled, and the water that there stinks and is brown. There was a huntsman sent to find her, but he was never seen again.”

“She’ll eat you up,” the clairvoyant warned as she stepped towards him. She reached out, running a manicured nails up over the scars on Rax’s chest and then down to the bandage on his ribs. “She’ll want that fey. Are you going to risk him?”

“Can you see the future?” he asked her as he resisted the urge to step away.

“No,” she said. “I read what is in front of me. But she’ll lure you like Hansel and Gretel, and she’ll eat you alive.”

Rax growled and stepped away now. “Not if I take her head first.”

“I like him, he’s cocky,” the witch laughed. She reached into her purse and pulled out a card and held it up with two fingers. “Call me when you need me.”

Rax frowned as he took the card. The front had a simple black star on it, and on the back it read _Edwina the Seerer. I’ll see you before you see me._ “I thought you couldn’t see the future?”

“I can’t,” she said as she walked around him, heading for the door to the bar. “But I know that you’ll need me, sooner or later.”

Rax frowned at her, before he turned back the rest of the women. He reached into his coin pouch and flipped a gold coin to the woman with the red hair. “As promised, first round is on me.”

“Thanks Blood demon,” the red-head said as she passed by him. “Come to us when you kill that hag, and we’ll show you and your friend a good time.”

Mordichai’s wings lifted with interest, but Rax didn’t answer, and tucked the card into a pocket and put his coins away. He kicked at an empty beer can and turned to the Shadow demon. “So we’re looking for a witch along the river, filled with frogs? Sounds fucking great.”

“I hate frogs,” Mordichai grunted as he folded his wings back again. “Look, I hate to ditch you, but I have my own jobs I need to do. Can you handle this alone?”

Rax crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you actually have another job or are you avoiding that omega demon?”

Mordichai scowled before flipping the bird and tracing out of sight. Alone in the alley Rax weighed his options. He would have never hesitated going after this witch alone before, but now that he had someone to come home to, he was more cautious.

He could try talking Amon into helping him when they met up with him and Elijah tomorrow for brunch. He didn’t like the Storm demon, he was a complete ass, but the fact was, Amon had probably killed more people then he ever had. And he was sure that Amon’s bloodlust was just waiting to be unleashed and what better place to unleash it than hunting for a cannibalistic witch.

It was something to think on, so he went back inside to find his mate. Jake’s alluring scent stood-out as he walked through the bar, following it back to the main area, and he found the fey where he had left him, talking with his friend.

Rax tilted his head at the halfbreed. He watched as Cinder pulled a flask from his jacket and poured blood into his glass, mixing it with the already red liquid. He frowned.

 _So, he is a vampire crossbreed then._ Which in itself was very interesting. Cinder did not look like a vampire at all, not with his green eyes and skin that was yes, very pale, but also flushed from laughing and drinking. He looked like he should have been a siren or an elf, and it was possible that his other half was one of those demon species.

The two looked up at his approach and he couldn’t help but smile. His mate was obviously happy, and tipsy, and that was all that mattered right now. 

“Did Mordichai leave?” Jake asked.

“He had other business to attend to,” Rax explained as he approached the table. Before he could sit down in one of the chairs, Jake stood for him to sit in the booth. So he sat down and slid over, and Jake settled comfortably in his lap. Rax kissed his neck. “We did get some information that will help with our hunt, hopefully.”

“You must be who Cherish and her horde ran into outside,” Cinder said as he gestured to the group of women across the room. “They were all pretty interested in you.” He couldn’t blame them at all, just looking at Rax’s horns had him hard in his jeans. He shifted a bit uncomfortably and wondered if Jake would be willing to share for a night. The thought made his fangs sharpen in interest.

Rax smiled at Jake who has bristled at the group of women. It was incredibly touching to see the fey react in such a way, because while Rax’s feelings were cemented, he honestly had no idea about Jake’s. The fey has seemingly accepted him as his mate, he laid with him, had told him the horrible secrets of his past, but so far he had yet to show any kind of feelings back towards him.

Not that Rax could blame him; he had waited decades for his fated mate and Jake had not. The feelings he felt for the fey were cosmic, and Jake had been pulled into the relationship by force.

Truthfully, he felt bad about that.

“What did you find out?” Jake asked after he calmed down and took another drink. He was starting to cross the line between tipsy and drunk and it was wonderful. He settled in his mate’s lap and reached up, grazing his fingers over one impressive horn.

“She’s been seen lurking near the river,” Rax said as he tilted his head up into the contact. 

“And how do we find her?” Jake asked as he felt the demon’s cock twitch against his ass. He smiled wickedly.

“Follow the frogs,” he grunted. “Are you going to keep teasing me?”

“Please don’t fuck here in front of me,” Cinder said as he took another swig of blood from his flask, “unless you’re going to invite me.” He winked.

Rax blushed but Jake’s eyebrows went up in interest. Before he could say anything, Bree and Mel came back to join them. The three talked loudly and laughed gregariously, and Jake turned his attention back to his mate. He nuzzled at his neck and chin. “Is Mordichai going to help us hunt?”

“It doesn’t sound like that,” he said as he slid his hand up Jake’s shirt, rubbing up his spine. “I’m going to ask Amon tomorrow when we have brunch with him and Elijah.”

“Is he a good hunter?” Jake asked as he arched into the contact.

“He’s a good killer,” Rax said. “I just really don’t want to have to ask him.”

Jake tilted his head up. “Why not? If he’s that good of a killer, I’m sure he’ll be safe.”

“It’s not his safety I’m worried about,” he grunted, “it’s just that he’s such a godsdamn asshole.”

Jake laughed loudly. “I’m done talking about this. Kiss me.”

He didn’t need to be asked twice.


	5. The Cave

Jake woke earlier than he would have liked, with a pounding headache and dry mouth. He rolled over, burrowing himself under the blankets and pulling the pillows over his head in an attempt to smother out the pounding in his head. 

It had been years since he had drank any kind of fey alcohol, and last night, Cinder had bought a bottle of the sickeningly sweet wine, which was like spiked nectar, and Jake had gotten completely tanked. Now his head was throbbing and he wished he was dead.

The floor creaked and he groaned.

“So, how are we this morning?” Rax gently teased.

“Gods, let me die,” he whined.

The bed shifted with the demon’s weight. “That bad, huh?”

“Did I do anything stupid?” He asked. 

“Depends on what you call stupid.”

He groaned again. “No, I don’t want to—“

“Let’s see,” Rax hummed as he ignored his pleas. “You danced on the table, tried to fight a gorgon, told me you wanted to sit on my face, and then made out with Cinder when I told you no.”

“Oh Goddess,” he groaned loudly.

“If we’re being honest, I don’t regret turning you down,” he laughed. “It was quite the show and I enjoyed it. I believe your friend did as well, for he tried several times to convince me that we should have a threesome.”

_Of course he did._ “You said no?”

“You were far too inebriated for me to make such a decision without you,” Rax said. 

He felt his cheeks flush and his heart swell with affection. It took a strong demon to say no to two drunken, horny men begging to have sex with him. He finally rolled over and pulled the blankets down. The room was blissfully dark and his eyes easily adjusted.

When they did, he saw that Rax had a healing bite mark on his sharp lower jaw. He frowned and reached out to touch it with his fingertips. “Who bit you?”

“You did,” he said with an affectionate smile, “after I refused to have sex with you after I brought you home.”

“Fuck,” he sighed. He did not remember any of this. “I’m sorry.”

Rax took his hand and kissed it. “Don’t be. It was hot.”

“Seeing me drunk and angry was hot?” He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Rax shrugged. “When you’re fiery your eyes glow and your nose does this adorable wrinkle.” If Jake hadn’t been crippled he imagined that his delicate fey wings would have been buzzing in agitation and that he would have summoned some sort of hex on him. 

He could have argued, called him weird, but when he imagined how the demon was when angry, how his muscles would swell and his horns would sharpen, and well, he couldn’t deny that it would be hot. He blushed when Rax looked down at him with a smug smirk that he normally would want to kiss off his face.

Instead he dropped back onto the bed, hands over his face. “When are we supposed to meet your friends?”

“Twenty minutes.”

He shot back up and regretted it immediately as the world tipped around him. He needed painkillers, tea, and a shower. He slipped by the demon, out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom, growling at any sunlight that dared to shine through open windows and onto his face.

After a cold shower he found a bottle of ibuprofen in the cabinet and took a couple. Then he brushed his teeth, and brushed and styled his hair the best he could. He leaned close to the mirror was he fiddled with his hair, before he caught sight of the scar that cut down across his face. He frowned as he touched it, and wondered what Rax’s friends would think of him.

They were to have a casual brunch in Ironwood City, so he dressed casual and simple, and more importantly comfortable because he felt like shit. He went to them find Rax, who was waiting for him with a mug filled with tea in hand.

Jake accepted it with a sigh. “You read my mind.” He took a long drink and let the herbal, honey liquid calm the throbbing in his head. He leaned against the tall demon and felt his powerful magic crackle against his own. When they bonded Rax’s magic had joined with his, but he had yet to test that. Now he closed his eyes and reached out, soaking in a pinch of magic, just enough to wash away the hangover.

Rax smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. He felt Jake’s magic against his own, felt his warmth and life, the remnants of vibrant power the fey once possessed. Jake had burned up so much of his magic over the years to keep himself hidden and human, that he was lucky he didn’t completely deplete himself. If he had been taking care of himself regularly, spending time in the sun and soaking up power from the earth, it would have been different, but Jake had been starving himself for many, many years. Now he was starting to finally heal, and it was showing. “Are you ready?”

Feeling immensely better, he nodded.

Rax picked him up and traced them to a protective bubble, one of many around the city, that Otherkin could use to come and go without catching a human's attention. This one was in the corner of an alley, between an Indian restaurant and a small grocer. Ahead of them was a row of apartment complexes and a busy road.

“Where are we?” Jake asked as he rubbed his head.

Rax applies his glamour. In his human disguise he’s 6’4, almost two-hundred and fifty pounds of lean muscle. His hair is black and long, and in the same braids that Jake had done for him the other night. His eyes are sharp and honey brown, and he has a little scruff on his cheeks and chin. “Elijah’s apartment is just down the block,” he said. Their main home was the house in the mountains that Rax had given them, but they wanted to keep the apartment for Jake’s work and for easy access to the city.

Demons could only trace into places they had stepped foot in before. “You’ve never been here?” Jake asked as he did the same, hiding his ears, eyes and scars behind a sheet of magic. He borrowed a bit more magic when his headache threatened to resurface as they stepped into the sunlight. At the same time it soaked through his skin and he let his magic shimmer.

“No,” he said as they walked down the block. It was Sunday morning and the streets were busy with people coming and going from Sunday mass, and going to brunch with friends and family. There was a cafe down the street and the outside seating area was filled with people laughing and talking and babies crying. 

“Let’s stop there real fast,” Jake suggested.

“What? Why?” Rax asked as he followed his mate as he changed their path.

“We’ve having brunch, it’s only expected that we bring something,” he said as he made his way through the front door of the cafe. As he hoped there was a large display of fresh breads, muffins, croissants, and bagels. He let his eyes sweep over the menu board when Rax tapped his shoulder and handed him his credit card.

Thanking him, Jake went up to the counter and ordered a box of assorted scones, muffins and turnovers to go. It took only a few minutes, and then they were back on their way, Jake feeling much better about meeting friends when he wasn’t empty handed.

They walked to a tall brick building and he rang the door buzzer, announcing himself, and was let in without comment. They took the stairs up to the apartment, where Rax paused just outside the door. “Don’t let his mate frighten you.”

Jake nodded nervously, gripping the box tightly. “Okay.” 

Rax knocked and the door swung open immediately to a demon just slightly shorter than the Blood demon. The Storm demon didn’t have his glamour applied, and there was a frown cut onto his face. The Storm demon was wide, yet lithe enough to be graceful. His skin was a lighter grayish-blue and he had uneven rigid black horns. His tail whipped around behind him, snapping to air, and his golden eyes were patronizing as they swept over the two.

“Amon,” Rax greeted. The demon was completely healed since he had last seen him after his battle with the Warlord Skoll. The warlord had beaten the demon to near death, even broke one of his horns, and would have been absolutely killed him had his mate not come to his, and the world’s, rescue. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

Amon showed his teeth as he sneered. “Fuck off.”

“Are you going to let us in?”

The demon’s tail snapped before he stepped to the side to allow them entrance. His golden eyes locked onto Jake, who frowned at him. “What?” he asked. He frowned when the door slammed behind him.

“Drop your glamour,” it was a command.

Rax growled and rounded on the other demon, dropping his own glamour in the process. Before either demon could say a word, however, they were interrupted.

“Don’t make me separate you,” Elijah said, already sounding exhausted. 

Jake turned to the soft voice, and stopped in surprise. _This_ was the Valkyrie halfling that had beheaded one of the most brutal warlords to ever walk the Otherworlds? This delicate looking creature, with a mess of black curls, neon blue eyes, and a gentle expression? He frowned in confusion. Like Fey, Valkyrie were built to be small, nimble, and most of all, dangerous, but this omega male looked like he would fall over picking up a sword.

Then his eyes saw the scars, pale pink and silver, etched over his fine hands and up his arms. Like Jake the halfling was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt with a worn flannel over the top. He wasn’t armed, but if what Rax told him was true, that Elijah could wield lightning, then a sword would be a step down.

Elijah’s electric blue, tell-tale Valkyrie eyes landed on him and he smiled. “I’m Elijah. And you can keep your glamour up if you want.”

Jake tucked the box under his arm and stepped forward to meet him, only hesitating when their hands touched. The power coursing through this young, still very mortal halfling was so extreme he almost laughed. It prickled the base of his neck and made his own, weaker magic shiver. Once, he had power like this, untapped potential that was stolen from him before he could properly wield it.

He exhaled and dropped his glamour. “I’m Jake.”

He expected Elijah to recoil, to step away, even flinch. But all he did was cock his head ever so slightly, and then smile. “Wow,” he said softly, “I’d love to paint you.”

Jake frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

Elijah pulled his hand away and blushed sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I love to paint, and your bone structure is amazing.”

Jake touched the scar that split his face in two. “And this?”

“What about it?” He asked.

He still wasn’t used to this kind of treatment, and it hit him hard in his belly. He felt himself shiver and blink rapidly. Elijah reached out to comfort him but Rax was there first, hugging him from behind.

“Jake?” He asked worriedly. He pressed his lips against the scar on the back of his neck.

“It’s nothing,” he insisted. “I’m just—still hungover.”

They all knew it was a lie, but they didn’t call him out on it. Elijah nodded to the box. “What did you bring?”

“Oh--” he said, he had forgotten he was holding it. He offered it to the halfling. “Just some scones and muffins.”

“How thoughtful,” he said with a smile. “I love this cafe, everything they make is delicious.”

Jake let out a little breath of relief and leaned back against Rax’s body.

Elijah smiled at Rax and then looked past him to his mate. “Everything is ready if you’re hungry. And if you two can behave yourselves.”

Amon’s tail snapped and he stepped around them and to Elijah, who looked up at him. It appeared to be a stand-off, before both laughed and leaned down to kiss his mate’s lips. Amon didn’t address them, only walked through the small apartment to the open kitchen where food was laid out on the counters. Elijah set the box down among the food and opened it. He picked up a cherry scone and took a bite.

The four sat around the table after filling their plates with eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon and sausage and baked goods to eat. Jake was the one to break the silence when he commented on a painting hanging in the kitchen. It was a woman in a flowing white dress and silver armor; a Valkyrie by her features and weapons, riding a Pegasus. “Is that one of your paintings?”

Elijah turned to look at it. “Yeah. That’s my mother.” 

“She’s beautiful,” he said.

“Yeah, she was,” he agreed with a smile. “You’re a summer fey, right?”

“Yes,” he said quietly and dropping his eyes down to his plate. He waited for Elijah to ask him about his wings, but it never came. He looked up. Had Rax told him? Or was this halfling just that intuitive? 

“Rax, you couldn’t have asked for a better mate,” Elijah said with a smile that lit the room.

“I agree,” Rax rumbled proudly. “But you could have.”

“Didn’t you come to ask him a favor?” Jake chastised. “Maybe don’t goad him.”

Amon sat back with a frown. “Forget it,” he snapped just as Elijah asked, “What is it?”

Rax sighed and finished off his coffee before he sat back and locked eyes with the other alpha demon. “I’m hunting a witch, and I need help. I’ll pay you in money or trade.”

Amon grunted. “I’m not for hire.”

“What witch?” Elijah asked as he bumped his knee against Amon’s. “Is this a job? Or something personal?”

“It’s both,” Rax said. “It started off as a job but then things… changed.”

Jake sighed and twisted his hands together. He looked at Rax, who inclined his head to him. It was his decision what to tell these people. He didn’t know them, but Rax trusted them. He released a shaky breath before he started to talk, and the words were rushed. 

“When I was young and mortal my clan was wiped out by an attack. It was lead by goblins and those of us who didn’t get away were taken prisoner. I was given to a goblin lord and his witch. They... “ he gestured to his face. “They did things to me. Tortured me. Cut out--cut out my wings…”

Amon’s breath was sharp. “Before you were immortal?”

He nodded, his eyes locked onto the cup of tea in his hands. “Rax, I didn’t… I didn’t tell you all of this yet,” he admitted. “The witch, when she was cast out of the goblin’s employment, stole me. She kept me chained up with iron,” he showed them his wrists, “and she… was… she did things.” He gulped hard as his food threatened to come up. Rax rested a hand on his back, it was there for support, but he could feel it shaking; he could feel the demon’s magic heating up. “I’m sure she meant to eat me alive, to take the rest of my magic that she had yet to siphon. But I escaped.”

“How did you escape?” Elijah asked very quietly.

“It’s so stupid,” he said as he wiped his hand over his eyes. “The building was raided by a S.W.A.T. team, busting a couple of meth labs and drug dealers. When they came into the apartment the spell shattered and they found me chained up and almost dead. They took me to a human hospital and when I woke up, I ran out of there. I used all my magic to heal myself and to conjure a shield of glamour to hide myself. I drained myself to the point that I… I actually thought I could live as a human.”

“Fuck,” Amon grunted as he stood and paced the kitchen. 

Elijah reached across the table and rested his hand over Jake’s. He appeared calm, but his eyes were shimmering and silver. “We’ll help you find her.”

…

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything,” Jake said later that day. They were still at the Valkyrie’s apartment, lounging outside on the covered balcony as it rained. The sky was heavy and grey and there were the occasional flashes of lightning and low rumbles of thunder. 

“I knew you would tell me when you were ready,” Rax said as he slowly threaded his fingers through the fey’s hair. Rax had applied his glamour when they went outside, because he is more likely to be noticed than Jake, and he was grateful that the fey hadn’t covered himself. He leaned down to nuzzle his pointed ear and kissed it.

Jake sighed and closed his eyes while listening to the gentle patter of rain and Rax’s heartbeat. It was fast, and hasn’t slowed down since this morning. His hadn’t either. After much talk, it was agreed that the four of them would go to the riverfront after dark to hunt the witch. Amon had been absolutely furious when Elijah insisted on going along, and had bellowed until his face was red and his eyes were black. Elijah didn’t move on his decision, his eyes flickering dangerously silver, before he agreed to stay back, out of danger, and only come forward if the two demons needed him. 

After Elijah had gone to his bedroom to cool off, Amon had left, using a magic mirror to travel because Storm demons had no way of tracing. He claimed he was going to find something to help them catch and kill a witch, but Jake suspected he was still worked up and just needed to let off some steam.

Jake sat up slowly when the patio door slid open and the halfling stepped out. “Hey Elly,” he said quietly. “Look… I don’t want to side with Amon, but I don’t want you to be in any danger either.”

He sat down in the opposite chair. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Elijah said with a tired smile. “I’m tougher than I look.”

Jake knew how Valkyrie’s fought, they were some of the most dangerous creatures in their world, but Elijah was still too mortal. “I know, I heard about your fight with Skoll.”

He snorted. “It seems everyone has heard of that.” He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“It’s unbelievable you came out of that alive,” Jake said, only to flinch when he felt Rax start behind him.

Elijah smiled gently. “I didn’t.”

He straightened up. He looked at the scars again. They weren’t just on his hands and arms, he could see the silver shadow of them _everywhere_. He frowned and swallowed hard. “Oh…”

Elijah waved his hand in dismissal. “I want to help,” he said. “Easy as that.”

“Why? We.... we just met.”

“That’s true,” he said with a smile as he looked out over the city, monochrome with rain and drizzle. Lamp posts cast the streets in dull light and the buildings around them were all lit up. “But your my friend’s mate, and I like you.”

Jake shook his head. How did someone like Elijah get paired with someone like Amon? “I like you, too.”

Amon returned that evening before the sun set. He had gone to three different iron workers that he had connections with, and came up with a bag of enchanted chains and cuffs that could and should stop a witch. The plan was to take Meg’s head and not take her prisoner, but if things went wrong, if they had to secure her first, they would need something that would stop her magic and keep her from hexing them. They had no idea how strong she was, after her exile she had been rumored to return a husk of the witch she was, but she had been gathering power for some time now. This wasn’t going to be easy.

The two alpha demons were taking no chances. Elijah and Jake wore pieces of light, flexible leather and chain-mail armor for protection, while the two demons opted out of anything heavy or binding that would restrict their movements. Both were armored to the teeth however, with a long sword and many knives, and Amon carried a heavy battle axe that was freshly sharpened. 

“Perfect for taking off heads,” he said with a sneer.

“Don’t get cocky,” Elijah said with a nervous breath.

“You can still back out,” Amon said as he looked at his nervous mate. He didn’t want to fight again, he wouldn’t start another argument that he wouldn’t win and would only stress his mate out more, but he pleaded to him with his eyes, with a kiss. 

“I’ll be fine,” he promised. “We’ll stay out of the way. And you might need me.”

“I can’t lose you again,” Amon whispered desperately. “If it goes wrong, you get the fuck out of there. Your safety is all that matters to me.”

Elijah cupped his face and pulled him in for a soft kiss. “I’ll be safe. I promised I would never leave you again.”

Because miracles were never granted twice. There wasn’t a sacred tree here, no magic pool with connections to the All Tree that could heal and bring his mate back, if it so chose to do. If anything terrible happened before Elijah’s immortally took over, it could mean his death. He kissed the halfling a bit more forcefully, licking into his sweet mouth, before he growled and pulled back. “Summon one of those damn horses if you need to,” he said.

“You hate it when I fly,” Elijah said with a little smile.

“I’ll make an exception this time,” he said with a grunt. He remembered the first time he went to find Elijah in the Olympian Meadows only to see him on the back of one of the pegasus, which wasn’t so bad, but then the two had flown up into the sky and Amon had nearly had a heart attack. The herd loved the Valkyrie, there were always a group of equines outside their home, and while they hated him and constantly tried to bite him, he knew they would keep his mate safe. He still didn’t like seeing his mortal mate flying so high in the sky. 

Elijah hummed. “Did you get everything we’ll need?”

“Brought enough chains to bind Merlin himself,” he said, and then added begrudgingly, “hopefully.”

There were no doors or mirrors that lead to the riverfront, and the location was so obscure that they wouldn’t know where to start with anyway, so they took Elijah’s car and drove down to the warehouse district, which mostly quiet as twilight started to set in. They parked the car in a food processing plant parking lot and started to walk, leaving the docks and lamp posts behind. They were too close to an area that would be positively buzzing with activity during the day, there was no chance the witch would have taken up residence here. 

“She’s not here,” Jake said. “I smell no decay, and hear no frogs.”

“Then we’re walking,” Rax said. “Cherish was not very specific with the location. She said go to the riverfront, follow the dirty water and the frogs.”

The four stood there for a moment. The river was wide and brown, at its widest it was nearly a mile. Further upstream the river fed into giant lakes and was home to fancy vacation homes, but here, as it passed through the city and was being constantly used by barges and tourist boats the water was mudier and thick with pollution. They started downstream, walking until they were leaving the city behind and were navigating rocky banks and lots of weeds and heavy plants, and deep mud. The trees that sprouted here were twisted and ragged, their bark dark in color and their trunks twisted.

Rax smelled it first, and Jake saw the decay on the trees. He stopped with a worried frown, staring and a tree that was bare and leaning unnaturally in the mud. When he reached out to touch it, he found it was cold and lifeless. He crouched and touched the ground with his fingertips, and frowned. Something was draining the life from the plants here.

No, not something, he knew exactly what. He stepped back to look around. There was a building on the bank, hidden in what would have normally been thick, green evergreens, but now they were brown and brittle and the abandoned bar was exposed and covered in decay and the tin roof was rusted. He frowned.

“We’re close,” Amon said as he walked through the mug to the edge of the river. He smelled the throngs of dead fish before he saw them. Then he saw the toads, fat and a sickening, dirty green color. The glands on their backs were swollen and leaking a milky white toxin. Amon growled and used his axe to nudge the creatures away from his boots.

Elijah stood further up in the grass. Beyond where they stood the bank dropped down into the river, giving them no way to access the front of it without going into the water. If there’s an entrance to the cave it’s underwater,” he said with a frown. “Maybe there’s another way inside. Do you see any sewer drains? Or maybe a manhole on the street?”

Jake walked up the bank and to the abandoned building. He drew his short sword, holding it in front of him with both hands, while reaching out with his magic. He was met immediately by something cold and clammy, and sickness churned in his belly. She was here all right, the stain of her stolen, corrupted magic was everywhere. Someone had spray painted on the faded, wooden exterior of the building with warnings to stay away. Ignoring them he used it as a guide, and again tapped into Rax’s magic to push open the door to the building, which had been sealed shut with old vines.

Inside it was dark, the air musty and thick, and there was a large hole in the center of the floor. 

Jake’s heart started to hammer and his hands gripped the sword hilt harder. He didn’t dare step inside alone, but he knew what he had found.

He backed up and hurried down through the weeds and back to the others. “I found it,” he called out. “I found the way inside.”

Rax drew his sword and followed his mate back up to the building. He recognized it as a simple Otherkin dive bar, but something horrible had happened here. He circled the outside once and found mounds of dirt used as shallow graves, and they were covered in black moss and arachnids. He bared his teeth and stomped back around and found the other three already inside the building. All the furniture had been shoved against the wall and the floor sagged with the demon’s weight.

“You aren’t going down here,” Amon said as he spared his mate a look.

Elijah was staring into the darkness. He could feel something, a tainted energy crawling over him. He stepped back and outside lightning flickered in the sky. “I don’t want to go down there.”

The Storm demon was relieved, at least they wouldn’t have to fight over it. He looked to the fey, who was as white as snow and shaking. “You stay here with him,” he ordered. “Anything happens to him, and I’ll kick your ass.”

Jake wanted to argue. He had come here to kill the witch himself, but now faced with just a leftover smear of her magic had him shaking and doubting his abilities. He looked at Elijah, and nodded. “We’ll stop her if she gets by you.”

“She won’t,” Rax promised. He looked at the other demon who had dropped his glamour once they were inside the building, not that anyone else was around to see them this far out of the city and into the boonies. “You ready?”

“I’m always ready to kill,” he said as he leaned down to kiss his mate, then he joined Rax at the edge of the tunnel. 

“How far down do you think it goes?” Rax asked.

Amon shrugged. “We’ll find out,” and he stepped over the ledge.

…

It was a deeper drop than anticipated, but Amon landed on his feet, followed a second later by Rax. The ground was hard and solid, and the entire area smelled damp and rotten. There was no source of light, and they were standing in a tunnel that only went forward, and after an exchange of looks, they started to walk.

“Smell that?” Rax whispered as they walked.

Amon grunted. The scent of blood and rotten flesh was growing stronger and stronger as they walked, and the ground was becoming soggy. Had he not known better he would have guessed he was entering a ghoul or troll’s lair, even a zombie horde, not a witch. He tightened his grip on the axe and thrashed his tail.

“You better pay me for this shit,” he said.

Rax glanced at him in the dark. “I never agreed to that.”

“You’re going to agree to it now.”

“Or what? You’ll fucking ditch me? Elly would be real understanding I’m sure.” He rolled his eyes as he continued to walk, and was relieved when he heard Rax following him.

Then he stepped on something that snapped under his weight, and he pitched back in surprise. He reached into the leather satchel at his hip and pulled out a couple of flashlights. He switched them on and tossed one to Amon before he shined it down on what he had stepped on. He growled.

His foot had gone through a rib cage.

“I don’t think she’s hunting just immortals,” he said as he crouched to examine it. “These bones are human.”

“So she went full Hannibal Lector?” Amon asked with a frown of distaste. Even in their world cannibalism was taboo, only done by creatures who were truly the lowest of the low. It had taken thousands of years for vampires and other blood-drinking demons to gain any kind of respect, and even now vampires were still held with extreme prejudice and banned from many establishments.

Rax looked back at him curiously.

“I know pop culture,” he said defensively. “Elijah and I have movie nights.”

“Isn’t that adorable.”

“Fuck you.”

Rax turned back and stepped around the bones and continued down the carved tunnel, shining the flashlight as they walked. They came across more bones as they walked, in various states of decay. Mostly human, and to Rax’s dismay, they weren’t all adults. When he saw the corpse of a half-eaten child he felt a flare up of anger.

Finally they reached a doorway into an open cavern. There was a cot in the corner, several trunks, a massive mirror on one wall, and a makeshift shelving unit filled with apothecary jars, books, and jars of organs. A couple candles burned around the room, casting it in just enough light that they could see every corner.

“She’s not here,” Rax grunted as he turned off the flashlight and tucked it away.

“No shit,” the Storm demon said as he looked around the room. There were no other exits, and he hated it. He pulled back his lips to show his teeth. “We need to get out of here.”

Normally Rax would have found a place to hide and wait for his prey, but with there being no other way out, and the room being small enough that neither demon could stand at full height without their horns touching the dirt ceiling, he had to admit that Amon was right. If they set up outside they might catch her on her way back from hunting.

“You’re right, lets go,” he agreed. He turned around, eyes sweeping the room for anything they could use against Meg, when he met a pair of red eyes. “Fuck.”

Amon turned around, raising his flashlight which flickered and died in his hand. He smacked it against his palm, but when it didn’t turn back on he tossed it to the floor and turned his attention to what was ahead of them. He squinted at the shadows which had seemed to have wrapped around the woman blocking their exit.

He reached into the magical bond shared between he and Elijah, and found it to be pulsing healthily. He had to take this to mean their mates were safe, that the witch hadn’t seen them. She probably had been down here the entire time, and had slipped into the shadows when they walked by and waited to get behind them. Goddamn, how were they both so stupid?

Amon swung the axe easily. “What did you say this hag’s name was?”

“Meg the Cruel,” Rax growled. 

“What brings two beasts such as yourselves to my home?” The woman asked in a low, smokey voice.

Rax made it a point to not converse with his prey, and this couldn’t have been more important now when dealing with a witch. They needed to get the job done before she threw a spell or curse at them.

He raised his sword, preparing to charge and trusting Amon to have his back, when the woman moved first. 

The problem with witches was they didn’t have a specific set of skills and abilities; one never knew what they were going up against, and with a witch like Meg, who had been feeding for centuries off the life force of other’s there was no way to predict the kind of power she had amassed.

She stepped into the low light provided by the few candles and the two demons sucked in a sharp breath.

Meg the Cruel was made up of nightmares. Her black hair tumbled down her back, past her hips in long, oily waves. Her skin was pale and her lips cracked and stained red. The smile on her face was anything but friendly, holding in it the promise of pain that she would enjoy inflicting. The wicked hellfire burning in her red eyes is exemplified by the stolen magic currently rushing through her veins. She’s dressed in a casual white gown, which is ripped at the edges, and her nails are curled into claws. The magic pulsing through her is more evident now that she dropped her glamour and shield to hide herself.

Both alpha demons growl. “Let’s make this quick,” Amon snaps as he pulls a set of shackles from his bag.

Meg’s eyes lock into the shackles and then the Storm demon. Her smile turns into a smirk and she flicks her wrist. The cave shakes and the wall next to Amon splits open, and like guts from a stomach, withered tree roots some pouring out. They lash like tentacles and reach out for the large, grey demon.

Rax turned as the tree roots latched onto the other demon, jerking him back into the wall. He snarled and charged the witch, who flicked her wrist again—

He hit the back wall with a grunt. The small lair is suddenly hotter; the magic rolling off the witch making the air steam. Rax lurches to his feet as the ground beneath him softens and is crawling with worms and insects. He hears a snarl from Amon, along with the crack of bones.

_Fuck!_ He needs to end this now before one or both of them die and end up on the fucking menu! He grabs a knife from his belt and hurls at the woman. It finds purchase in the witch’s neck and there’s a squirt of blood. The witch stumbles but doesn’t fall, instead she laughs and reaches up to pull the blade free. More blood runs down her neck and stains her dress. 

“Shit—“ he can feel the magic powering up around him, the entire room is shaking and he can barely stand. Meg’s feet are now off the ground and she’s hovering; her hair is spread out in the air like oil. He can feel pressure on his chest, and a burning pain as something sharp whips his back. He tries to trudge forward but there is a barrier in front of him, holding him back. Meg’s laughing now and there’s blood streaming from her fingernails and eyes.

He curses again as something sharp hit his face and he tastes blood. Another vine slides up from the ground and whips him, and when his head snaps to the side he sees that Amon is coated in blood. There are thistle vines wrapped around his neck, sawing slowly into his neck. The tree roots are holding the Storm demon completely immobile.

“Fuck!” He lurches toward him, and feels wetness on his ankles from where the vines are cutting through his skin. He roars in frustration and looks at the witch. If he can kill her it’ll break the spell, if he can’t then Amon will lose his head and die. 

He knows what the Storm demon would do, but he can’t think about that right now. He struggles over to Amon and grabs the vines, which cut into his palms. He pulls his hands back and turns his attention to the roots holding onto Amon’s wrists and grabs a knife to cut through them. With one hand free Amon claws at the noose around his neck.

“Touching,” Meg laughs as she approaches her prey. Another wave of vines wrap around Rax’s forearms and lurch him back. He feels the sting of pain, but something else. There’s something familiar in the magic being used. He had never seen a witch command roots and vines to such an extent; manipulation of greenery and nature was not an ability witches could usually wield.

Rax grabbed another knife and started to cut, but the vines split and doubled every time he did. Giving up on that he turned to the witch, who had was growling.

No, she wasn’t growling, she was _casting_. The words were gnarled and gravely, and he felt a weight on his chest. This was exactly the thing he needed to stop but he couldn’t get close enough—

The room turned white and there is an explosion. The wall behind him is gone and water from the river starts to rushed inside. He falls in the wave, cursing, and looks up to see Meg scuttling like a crab up the wall, her mouth open on a hiss. Behind her stands Elijah, his eyes silver and glowing, and Jake, bow raised and knocked. He watches as Jake loosed the arrow, which struck the same gash his knife made and went clean through Meg’s neck, but did not sever her head.

“I know you,” she cackled when she dropped down from the ceiling into the knee-deep water. “Jake. My favorite toy.”

Rax struggled to his feet. He starts forward, but the blood still streaming down Amon’s body made him stop. With a snarl he grabbed another knife and waded to the other demon and started to cut the roots that were still attempting to sever his head. They were making progress, he could see bone and Amon couldn’t speak. “Gods be damned!” he hissed.

Meg cocked her head, exposing the bones in her neck. “I missed you, your taste. Is that why you’re here?”

Jake stares at the woman from his nightmares and for a split second he didn’t believe it was her. She had not looked this way years ago. She looked completely mad, drunk on magic and raw flesh. He stepped back as water continued to rise around them, causing him to lose his balance. He raised the bow. “Stay away from me!”

Her eyes went from Jake to Elijah, who had spotted his mate, bleeding and pale, and was shaking with anger. Her eyes lit up in interested and she let the water push her closer to them. “Who is your friend… he is… glowing....”

The words rumbled like an ocean wave against rocks, and Elijah felt the spark of magic in the air, warning him a split second before it was too late. She lunged at the two, but Elijah shoved Jake to the side and out of the way and leaped back just in time. He pulled his short sword and deflected a strike from her hand, cutting off half her ringers as he did. She howled angrily, the sound echoing through the cave and growing louder than the rushing water. She struck again, faster, and this time knocked Elijah into the flooding waters and left three deep cuts on his cheek.

There were two _thunks_ against her back and she hissed at the impact of the arrows, but it didn’t stop her. The halfling held too much power for her to simply ignore. She dug her remaining claws into the cave wall to balance herself as the water rose up higher, and watched as the half-Valkyrie omega struggled to keep his footing.

Elijah grit his teeth. He saw her tense, ready to pounce him, but he acted first. He threw an explosive bolt of lightning at her, hitting her in the chest. The sound overcame the roaring water and the flash blinded them all for a second, but the attack was successful, blasting the witch through the cave and into the raging river and downstream.

It was abruptly quiet, and the heavy magic that had been pouring off the witch was gone. Jake heard Rax cursing as he hefted the large, bleeding and unconscious Storm demon over his shoulder and struggled to hold onto him as the water continued to rise. Elijah struggled forward, gripping the wall, and yelled.

“Amon—!” He could see the tendons and bones in the demon’s neck, and he was pale from blood loss. 

Jake swore. “Trace him out of here!”

“I can’t leave you two—“ Rax argued as he struggled to keep his hold on the unconscious demon. The water was rising faster now and the ground was a thick, sucking mud that threatened to pull him down again. Along with the rushing, brown water were scores of dead fish and croaking toads.

“We’ll be fine,” Jake promised as he grabbed Elijah’s hand. “Take care of him and we’ll meet you back at the apartment.”

With a painful look, for Blood demon traced away. Jake turned with Elijah, using the pressure of the current to go back down the tunnel. “Can you climb?” He asked over the water’s roar. It was sloshing against the back walls and throwing them around. He felt something bang painfully against his leg and reached down into the water and pulled up the bag of chains. He slung it over his shoulder.

Elijah extended his claws. “I should be able to,” he said shakily. His face was bruised and bloody, and he was trembling. He jumped up out of the water, curling his claws in the dirt. He slipped and fell once, before he managed to find a solid spot not affected by the water and the shaking earlier. Jake grunted as he climbed up behind him, and together they struggled up the tunnel that was starting to crumble around them.

They crawled through the opening, back into the abandoned bar, and collapsed on the floor. But there wasn’t time to lay and gasp, they needed to get out there. Jake was on his feet first, hauling the heavy chains onto his back and reached for Elijah’s hand, helping him to his feet. They were both soaked with dirty water and heavy mud that coated their boots and legs, and had sunken into their armor. 

“It’s too dangerous to stay here,” he said as he looked around. 

Elijah stood and rubbed his hand over his stinging cheek. He winced in pain and looked at the blood smeared on his hand. Then he remembered Amon, slumped over Rax’s shoulder, covered in blood, nearly beheaded. Sickness churned inside him and he stepped around the fey and stormed out of the building and into the dead grass. It was much later than he realized, the sky was dark and covered in clouds and there were no street lights here. He could hear the howl of the river as it flooded the cave, and without sparing a look at the black water he started up the bank toward the road.

“He’s okay, Elly,” Jake insisted as he ran after the halfling. Elijah was flushed and his shoulders and back tight with tension. “Rax will see to him, I promise.”

Elijah sighed as he reached the road and started walking. They had left the car far up the river in a parking lot. It was farther than he wanted to walk right now, especially soaking wet and exhausted.

When the wind whispered through the trees, both stopped and turned back. They expected to see eyes staring back at them, and Elijah felt a jolt of panic. They needed to get out of here and both were too tired to keep walking. He looked around, seeing that no one else was in the area this time of night, and bowed his head.

“What are you doing?” Jake asked. He stepped back as thunder rumbled and the sky above them tore open shortly after. He dropped down onto the street in shock as the wind whirled around them and shook the trees. Then with a deafening _crack!_ the hole through reality closed and a white, glowing winged horse landed on the concrete in front of them.

Jake’s eyes bugged. He had seen pegasus mares around Rax’s mountain home, but this massive stallion was a force of nature, able to literally travel between space and time. He stayed on the ground, a show of submission, when the stallion’s dark eyes landed on him and he flared his wings in a threatening display.

“Shh,” Elijah soothed as he stepped up to the equine. The pegasus flared its nostrils, snorting and tossing its head, before leaning down into the halfling’s gentle touch. “It’s okay, it’s okay, he’s my friend.”

The stallion flattened his ears and stamped his hooves, making the concrete crack beneath them, before he finally relaxed and folded his wings back. Elijah sighed with relief and went to help Jake stand, before leading him over to the equine.

“Boost me up and then I’ll pull you up,” he said. “I’m afraid he’ll buck you off if you go up first.”

“We’re--we’re riding him?” Jake asked in shock. “Elijah--that can’t be okay--”

“It’s okay,” he promised as he pet the pegasus. “Valkyrie rode them into battle for thousands of years before Skoll started to slaughter them. It’s actually what started it all, he couldn’t defeat the maidens when they were in the sky, so he went for their mounts. We’re just getting a ride home, not riding into war. So come on, help me.”

Jake shuffled nervously up to the massive creature and tried to not notice the way the pegasus’ ears flattened at the sight of him and nostrils again flared. He helped boost Elijah up onto the equine’s back while trying to avoid the wing, which looked like it could kill him with one hit if it were to suddenly move. Once Elijah was settled he reached down and helped pull Jake up.

He immediately wrapped his arms around Elijah’s waist and clung to his back in fear. “Don’t let him drop me,” he pleaded. He had to keep his legs pulled up to avoid the animal’s wings, which left him feeling very off balance and unable to properly squeeze to hold on, like he would a normal horse. He tried not to shake too badly, not wanting to upset the animal or Elijah.

Jake was immortal, but even he couldn’t survive splatting on the ground from hundreds or thousands of feet up. He could feel the power pulsing through him from the creature beneath him. The Pegasus were made by the gods and were one of the pillars of magic of the Great Tree. They were pure magic and force, the only things made of more magic were unicorns. And as amazing as it was to be sitting on the dazzling, shining creature, he didn’t want to be flung from his back and in the middle of the city.

“I promise,” Elijah said with a little laugh. He told the pegasus where he wanted to go and then grabbed the shimmering, white mane and held on. They leaped into the air and he heard Jake scream and the fey squeezed him hard enough that he couldn’t breathe. He wheezed with laughter as the stallion rose above the trees and then high into the black sky. “Jake, I can’t breathe!”

Jake, face pressed into Elijah’s back, released his grip ever so slightly. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Are we going to--to go through space?”

“No, it’s not that far, and he flies fast.” Elijah glanced back at him. “You’re missing the view.”

“I’m trying not to throw up,” he gasped. It felt very much like riding a horse, only with massive bursts of wind every time the stallion flapped his wings, and when they dropped down he felt his stomach jump into his throat. It was like riding a very intense roller coaster, only worse, because it was unpredictable and there was no safety measures to keep him alive. No, this creature could decide at any second to simple throw him off and continue on his way without a second thought.

However, after a few minutes, he couldn’t help but open his eyes. The sight in front of him was dazzling, and he sat up in surprise. The city of Ironwood was sparkling and shining in the night, and beneath them he could see a steady flow of traffic on the busiest streets that were never quiet. The rain had cleared up from earlier and it wasn’t cloudy here like it was at the riverfront. He dared to lean over just enough to look down. “How is no one seeing us?” he asked.

Elijah gripped tight with his legs as the pegasus banked to the left and dropped down. “He can make himself invisible to human eyes,” he shouted back over his shoulder. When they turned, Jake had squeezed him hard again. He didn’t have the heart to tell him how much it hurt; he was sure his ribs were bruised from the witch’s attack. 

The fey closed his eyes again when they suddenly dropped, and the pegasus started to spin them downward. Elijah’s balcony was too small and covered for the pegasus to land on, so he had to float down to the street and allowed the two to dismount.

“Thank you,” Elijah said as he pet the stallion’s face and pressed a kiss against his muzzle. “I’ll bring you extra treats, okay?”

The creature bobbed his head eagerly before turning. The stallion flicked his tail and sprinted into the sky. Jake didn’t have a chance to watch it disappear because Elijah was already running for the front door while he dug his key out of his armor. The two darted inside and ran up the stairs, racing up to the apartment door where Elijah, hands shaking, unlocked it and ran inside. “Amon!?”

“We’re in here,” Rax called.

Jake followed the Valkyrie through the apartment to the bathroom where Rax had Amon propped up in the bathtub. There was blood everywhere and Elijah let out a frightened cry. Outside lightning flashed, a reflection of the halfling’s emotions.

Rax turned to him. He was bloody from cuts on his arms, his face, and his legs, but he also had the Storm demon’s blood all over him. “He’s okay, Elly,” he insisted as he stopped the halfling from jumping into the tub. “I stopped the bleeding, and bandaged him up. Once I can, I will go to the apothecary and get a healing cream to make sure he has no infection and heals fast. I _promise,_ Elly.”

Elijah couldn’t stop staring at Amon, who’s breathing was shaky and gurgling. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and let out a trembling breath. “Okay, okay… Thank you--”

“Don’t thank me,” he grunted angrily. At the halfling’s startled look, he added, “I almost got us all fucking killed. What was I thinking?”

“Rax,” Jake coaxed gently, “you’re bleeding all over, too. Come with me, let me tend those wounds, and let Elly take care of his mate.”

Rax tensed up before walking out of the bathroom. Jake sighed and rubbed his head, told Elijah to come if he needed anything, and then went after the big red demon. Rax was leaving a trail of blood behind him from his legs and arms. He sighed heavily and grabbed the demon by his wrist. “Come on, sit down, I need to--”

“Don’t,” he growled. “I don’t deserve your comfort.”

“Idiot,” Jake snapped. “Sit down, right now!”

Rax reeled back from the burst of energy from his mate and obeyed. He sat down on the tile floor in the kitchen. He watched as Jake first stripped out of his wet, filthy armor and left it in a pile on the floor. The jeans and tunic he was wearing underneath were in worse shape, sticking wetly to his thin frame. 

Jake knelt in front of the demon and started to tear away shreds of clothing to expose his wounds. The cuts were deep and swollen, and starting to puss. When Jake started to pull out thorns and pieces of vine, he snarled in pain. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he growled as he closed his eyes. But when it was suddenly quiet, he opened them again. 

Jake had sank back on his knees and was holding a large chunk of withered vine in his hands. He was shaking. “Jake?” He asked worriedly.

“This…” he gasped, “this was made with my magic.”

Rax flinched. “What?”

“She must have… have stored my magic,” he choked out. He closed his hands into fists, not caring that the thorns dug into his palms. He let out an angry cry. “This is my magic!”

“Jake…” Rax said gently. He struggled to stand, but the pain flared up in his legs and he slumped back, gasping.

Jake hardly noticed, too focused on the shivered piece of flora. He had been learning to coax growth from plants and trees before the attack, he had been learning to use vines for self-defense. Tears streaked down his face and he bowed his head. The magic was tainted with the witch’s poison, if he wasn’t his magic he may not have even noticed it was created by fey abilities. 

He looked up, staring at the wounds on Rax’s body, and suddenly got an idea. He stood quickly.

“Jake?” Rax asked again.

“I can use this,” he gasped, “to make a healing cream. It’s my magic, so I can conjure up something far more effective, that will get rid of that infection and the hex. I just need the right ingredients. Stay here--keep pulling out the thorns and clean up the best you can. I’ll be--I’ll be right back.”

He ran through the apartment to the bathroom. The door was open and he saw that Elijah had stripped Amon out of his bloody clothing and was gently washing him. He hesitated at interrupting such a tender, private moment, but if he didn’t make this salve they were all going to end up with infections, and Elijah could possibly die.

“Elly?” He asked quietly.

He looked over his shoulder. The scratches on his face were red and swollen, just like Rax’s wounds, and he imagined Amon’s were doing the same under the thick layer of bandages. “Yeah?”

“I need ingredients to make a healing cream,” he explained. “Do you have any ingredients here?”

Elijah stood up. Like Jake he had stripped out of his armor and was wearing dirty, damp clothing that was starting to smell. “Not here, but at home I do.” He had spent a lot of time learning to make his own herbal remedies when Amon has been healing, and to help himself whenever he came home bruised and bleeding from training with his Valkyrie relatives. He loved them, but they did nothing half-way. Training with them always hurt.

He lead Jake to the living room where there was a massive antique mirror leaning against the wall. It was the same traveling mirror that Rax had used earlier, because like the Blood Demon, Elijah couldn’t trace. 

“This takes me home,” Elijah explained as he pulled a key from his pocket and used it in a lock that was hidden among the ornate frame’s many details. When he turned it, the glass rippled and upon solidifying revealed another room. Elijah stepped through with Jake just behind him.

“When Amon was hurt, I learned from a fey in a local town how to make numbing creams and salves,” Elijah said. “Is that what you’re thinking of doing?”

“I need to make something stronger,” he said as he followed the halfling through the house. It was sparsely decorated, showing very obvious signs of a couple who had only recently moved in. But there was something very familiar about the layout, the architecture, the pattern of the wood floors and paint colors… “Why does this house look so familiar?”

Elijah laughed. “That’s a funny story,” he said as he opened the door to a sunroom. There were many live plants growing from terracotta pots and there was a large wooden cabinet in the corner next to a garden table. He opened it to reveal his store of roots, leaves, and other labeled jars. “This was one of Rax’s homes.”

Jake looked at him curiously. “So did you buy it from him or something?”

“He gave it to us,” he said, “well, me. He said it was for stopping Skoll, but I think it’s just because we had sex in his bed.”

Jake almost dropped the jar of dried flower petals he had picked up as he burst out laughing. ‘Elijah!”

“I didn’t know it was his!” he laughed as he waved his hands. “Trust me, I was mortified.”

“And Amon?” he asked as he started to select jars.

“Prouder than a peacock.”

He laughed again and Elijah soon followed, and they were soon leaning on each other for support. It was medicine, lifting their spirits and helping their minds recover from what they had just been through, and preparing them for what they all had to do yet. Both their mates were hurt, and now there was a mad witch out there looking for both of them. The days ahead were looking foggy, but here now, they couldn’t have felt lighter.

“You smell awful, by the way,” Jake said as he shook up a jar of dried herbs before tucking them into his bag.

“Not nearly as bad as you,” Elijah chuckled. “Once we get those two taken care of, I’ll clean the shower and we can use it.”

God, he really could go for a hot bath right now. But there was more important and pressing work to be done. Ingredients selected, Elijah grabbed a pair of mortar and pestles and the two went back to the apartment. They worked together, Elijah taking instructions from the Summer fey and ground together roots and dried flowers, mixed them aloe and oils, before Jake crushed down the vine, using his magic to purify it before adding it to a pot of hot water. Once it was dissolved he let it cool, then mixed everything together until it formed a light green paste.

“You first,” he said as he scooped up some with his fingers and turned to Elijah. 

Elijah leaned his head forward and closed his eyes. The pain on his face had escalated throughout the night, the swelling increasing and the smell of infection growing stronger. He squeezed his eyes shut in preparation pain on contact, but it did the opposite immediately: cooling the pain, dousing the infection, and smelled like mint and aloe. He sighed. “That’s nice…”

Jake smiled proudly. He then scooped half of the thick balm into another bowl and instructed Elijah how to apply it to Amon’s neck, and not to be afraid of applying too much. Then he could finish cleaning him up and move him, if he could. He turned to take care of his own demon, who he had dragged into the living room so they could work. Rax had passed out before they got back, and had been sleeping fitfully and growling the entire time they had worked in the kitchen.

With a sigh he knelt down and started to strip the demon of the rest of his clothing. He cleaned every wound again, even rolling him over to clean his back, and then started to apply the cream and fresh bandages. Rax muttered something in his sleep, but he started to relax and his breathing smooth out once most of his wounds were covered. The heavy scent of medicine started to overcome the smell of sickness and Jake felt himself finally start to relax.

Jake wiped his hand over his forehead. He was hot, tired, smelly and damp. He cleaned his hands and stored whatever was left of the cream the refrigerator and went to see if Elijah needed help.

“How’s he doing?” He asked.

“A lot better,” Elijah said with a sigh of relief. He had applied the balm to Amon’s neck, shocked to see that it had started to work right away, and then bandaged him back up. There were dozens of other little cuts that needed his attention, too, and he had pulled out so many thorns he lost count. He had finally washed the rest of the blood away and Amon was sleeping peacefully. “I was going to ask if you wanted to help me move him? My ribs are killing me and I don’t think I can do it by myself.”

Together they managed to lift and gently move the seven-foot demon into the living room where they laid him down next to Rax. After covering the two up with blankets, Elijah took Jake by the wrist and they went back to the bathroom.

He cleaned the shower first and then started it. “Go ahead,” he offered as he stepped back.

“No, this is your home,” Jake said.

Elijah smiles. “We’re both too tired for this, let’s just shower together.”

They left their dirty clothing on the floor and stepped in together, taking turns under the water and washing their hair. Jake wrinkled his nose as mud and blood washed down the drain.

“I feel so much better,” Elijah said as he rinsed his hair. 

“Me too,” he agreed. He frowned at the bruises that had blossomed over Elijah’s ribs and stomach. “Hey, Elijah, I’m so sorry I pulled the two of you into this mess.”

He flicked water at the fey. “Sometimes things don’t go as planned.”

“It’s not that simple, Elly! Amon almost lost his head—I almost killed your mate—and I completely froze!”

“You didn’t,” Elijah insisted as he grabbed him by his wet shoulders. “And _she_ did this, that woman, not you.”

He bowed his head and sighed shakily. “I’m tired.”

“Me too,” he said as he stroked his hands through Jake’s shimmering, colorful hair. When the fey has been rinsing his hair he saw all the scars; he saw the mutilation he had been put through. He wanted to reassure him that he was still beautiful and powerful, but now wasn’t the time. They were exhausted.

“I have clothes you can borrow. And you can crash in bed with me if you want,” he said as he stepped out.

“Thank you.” Jake follows him to the bedroom and accepts a t-shirt and soft shorts to sleep in. When they’re both dressed they crawl into bed and burrowed under the blankets. A fresh wave of rain had rolled in and it was pattering against the window in a gentle, comforting melody. He reached out to touch Elijah’s cheek, which was covered in a bandage. “It won’t scar, I promise.”

He smiled and reached up to take his hand. “You have an amazing talent. I wish I had half of it.”

“Any fey can do it,” he dismissed with a shrug. 

“Hmm I don’t know about that. I felt the magic you were using, how you purified what she stole from you and used it to bind the healing cream together. You probably saved us all with your magic.”

He blinked rapidly before he rolled over and curled up. He heard the halfling fall asleep shortly after, but he lay awake for a few minutes longer, thinking about what Elijah had said, what had happened in the cave, and what it meant for their future.

Then as the rain came down harder and louder, he closed his eyes and let himself drift away.


	6. Bound in Blood

Waking up next to Amon was as much of a nightmare as the witch in the cave.

Rax frowned at the snoring demon. They were in Elijah’s apartment and he felt like shit. He sat up, shoving off blankets damp with sweat and started to tear away bandages. The wounds caused by the witch weren’t healed, and were still red, swollen, and tender. Some of the more minor scrapes had scabbed over, but he wasn’t nearly as healed as Amon was, and certainly the other two demons.

_Seven hells._ He could feel a little tickle of Jake’s magic holding the healing spell together, but it wasn’t quite enough for him to heal. He felt his magic crackle against Jake’s, but he would not steal any of the fey’s remaining power, and it wouldn’t help him at this point anyway. His species had always been susceptible to certain types of poison, especially earth magic, which just so happened to what that damn witch had used against them. To heal from this he needed something more powerful than fairy magic and enchanted potions.

He just didn’t know how to ask for it.

He stumbled to his feet and growled, pressing his hand against a wound in his side and walked into the kitchen. After quenching his thirst with water he sniffed out his mate and found him sleeping peacefully in bed with Elijah. He sighed and hovered over the bed. Both were sleeping peacefully, and looked healthy and clean, their wounds healed and were not suffering from any fever from the poison. He needed to wake Jake, but the fey needed to sleep, he had used a lot of energy last night.

Rax stepped back, resolved to wait for his mate to wake, when he stepped on a squeaky floorboard, and Jake sat up with a start.

“Rax?” he whispered as he rose from the bed, carefully as to not wake the Valkyrie. They stepped into the hallway together and he closed the door behind them before turning his attention to the large, red demon. Rax had torn away all the bandages he had applied last night, but he was still dangerously pale and sweating; his wounds were dark in color and hot to the touch. He frowned worriedly as Rax leaned back against the wall.

“Why do you look so bad yet?” Jake asked worriedly as he reached out to touch one particularly inflamed cut.

“What do you know about Blood demons?” Rax asked quietly as he flinched. Jake’s fingers were gentle, and cold against his own fevered flesh, but everything hurt no matter how carefully Jake touched him.

Jake pursed his lips as his eyes swept over the naked demon. “Not much. Why? What’s happening?”

Rax rubbed his forehead and looked around for somewhere private to talk. Elijah’s apartment was a single bedroom and small, so they went into the bathroom and closed the door. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub.

“When we find our mate and bond, we’re tied together in ways other species may find abnormal,” he explained. “The poison the witch used on us was earth magic, as you well know, which I am very prone to. With time I will heal, but it would take more time than what I have now. If I am to heal from these wounds, I need more of your help.”

Jake stood between the demon’s open knees and cupped his face with his hands. “Tell me what you need,” he said. “I’ll give you whatever you need.”

Rax lowered his eyes. “I need your blood.”

Jake started slightly. “What?”

“We’re called Blood demons not just because we have to taste the blood of our mate to find them, but because exchanging blood between us makes our bond stronger, and it’ll help both of us heal faster and more efficiently. Your healing cream helped with the smaller issues, but I need more help to burn out the root of the infection.”

Jake pet his hands through the demon’s sweaty hair. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Like yesterday? I would have given it to you then!”

Rax looked up, and his expression was shockingly vulnerable for such a strong alpha demon. “I was afraid you would reject me, think me indecent.”

Jake smiled gently. “My love, my best friend is half-vampire.”

“Right,” he said with a frown. “Yeah, I should have realized that.”

Jake gently cupped his face again, forcing Rax to look at him. “Take what you need from me,” he said, “I want to help you.”

“You’ve had so much taken from you already,” he said with a regretful sigh.

“Yeah, but I’m giving this to you,” he said. He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck, and leaned into his big body. He felt Rax shudder as he circled his arms around his neck, hugging him. Then the demon wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed his lips against his neck. After a couple wet, sucking kissing to find the right vein, he bit.

Feeling Jake flinch and hearing him squeak in pain was almost enough to make him pull away, but if he did that he would have to bite again, so he rubbed a soothing hand up and down his mate’s back while he gently sucked, filling his mouth with warm, sweet blood.

He closed his eyes as heat and magic rushed through him. His wounds began to steam as they healed and his skin darkened to a flushed red and his horns sharpened. He groaned, the sound muffled against Jake’s neck, as he hugged the fey closer. Jake’s blood tasted like the richest, sweetest wine, and he felt himself start to warm up in other ways. As he healed, his muscles swelled and he felt a deep ache in his lower belly to mate. He growled, teeth pinching Jake’s neck again, and he curled his fingers into the fey’s shirt, nearly ripping it.

When Rax unhinged his jaw and released him, Jake leaned against him for support. He felt cold and weakened, but it wasn’t so bad that he wasn’t straightening up moments later. He let his magic reach out to Rax’s and he found it pulsing and bright, hot with power, and he borrowed some to stop himself from shaking. Rax’s tongue licked against his neck, cleaning up the blood, and the puncture marks that were already healing. He kissed his neck and gave his jaw a little lick before leaning away.

Jake looked down at the steam coming from the demon’s healed skin. He smiled and asked, “All better?”

“Yes,” he said. He was refreshed and energized, but also very aroused, and Jake was standing far too close. He grunted and took Jake’s hips and forced him back a step. His mate was pale and shaken, he didn’t need to feel a dick pressing against his stomach. “How do you feel?” he asked as he ran his hand through the fey’s colorful hair.

Jake shrugged. “A little weak,” he said. He looked down at Rax’s flushed cock and then shuffled back another half-step. He was grateful that Rax didn’t expect anything from him; he certainly was not in the mood for any sort of copulation.

“If you wanted to ingest some of my blood, it would help,” Rax offered.

The demon was watching his face very closely, and Jake hated that his initial response was to grimace. Fey did not drink blood. Thankfully Rax did not appear hurt but his gut reaction, because he had obviously expected it.

He released a shaky breath. “Maybe another time.”

Rax smiled and nodded. He kissed his mate’s cheek before standing. He felt great, and like he could take on the world, in particular a certain wicked witch. Or perhaps a goddamn goblin. He ran his hand over Jake’s cheek, fingers tracing over the scar that cut down across his face, and touched his lips.

Jake frowned curiously up at him. “Rax?”

“Let’s go home,” he said.

Jake looked back at the closed door. “I can’t just ditch Elly,” he said. “Let me go check on him. You check on Amon.”

Rax tried to hide his look of disappointment and disgust, but Jake dragged him out the door and pushed him down the hallway. He stomped up to the Storm demon and stared down at him. Unlike himself, Amon had healed from the damage done by the witch. He could see where the bandages had slipped free from his neck and saw the flesh beneath was healed and new. Well, it was probably better this way, Elijah would never have forgiven him had killed his mate, even accidently. 

Rax pinched the bridge of his nose as he prepared to wake the demon. Finally he nudged him with his foot—

He found himself on the ground with a grunt with a snarling demon in his face. He pressed his hands against Amon’s shoulders, trying to shove him off. “Amon!” He snarled. “What the fuck!”

The Storm demon reeled back, fist raised to strike, and Rax saw no choice but to trace them both. If they stayed here they would trash the apartment, possible the entire apartment building, exposing themselves and their mates in the process. Blue fire erupted and washed over them both, then seconds later they were falling into an open field of dry, brittle grass.

The impact separated them, giving Rax a chance to get to his feet.

“Amon, what the fuck?” he repeated with a rumbling snarl. The storm demon was staring at him with glowing yellow eyes and bared teeth. His body was shaking and his muscles were strained and bulging. Behind him his tail whipped, making a snapping sound that echoed around them.

Amon snapped his teeth. “You could have killed him!” He shouted. “And now that witch knows about him!”

The Storm demon’s voice echoed around them, booming off trees in the distance and the mountains looming overhead. Rax squeezed his hands into fists and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. “Amon, you know that wasn’t my intent—“

The Storm demon’s fist hitting his jaw had his ears ringing and the world spinning. He caught himself before he could fall and hit back, ramming his fist into the other demon’s ribs. He heard a snap but he didn’t have time to care, because the other demon was on him immediately. Amon was wailing on him, snarling and fuming, and he didn’t have time to stop. He hit again, clawing his way out of the demon’s grasp, and finally grabbed him and hurled him over his shoulder and through the air.

They were both bloody and breathing heavily. Rax straightened up and bared his teeth, watching as the other demon ripped away all his bandages. “It was not my plan to put either of our mates in danger, Amon!”

“But you did,” he snarled as he stood. “I could have lost him again, and I will not lose him! The gods give him back to me once, you know they won’t do it again. But you weren’t there, were you? You didn’t see him after Skoll. You didn’t have to hold his LIFELESS BODY IN YOUR ARMS!!!”

Rax stepped back as cold dread and realization spread through him. “No…” he murmured. No, he hadn’t been there. Frankie and her Furies had been there, the Valkyrie horde had been there, Rueben the fallen angel had even been there. But he had missed the call, he hadn’t received the plea for help and photographs of the Pegasus until later, when word was already spreading. He arrived in the Olympian Meadows too late, when the only ones left were the warriors assigned to watch the magical equines and clean up the aftermath.

And what an aftermath it was. Entire hillsides had been cleared out and burned, trees were still on fire, and the sky was filled with smoke. The two dozen or so Pegasus were running around or flying, ecstatic to be free. But it was the chaos that had Rax’s legs shaking, and that was before he saw the blood.

A punch to the face knocked him back to the present and dropping down to one knee.

“You’re right, I don’t have any idea what you both went through,” he said as he wiped the blood off his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You can take your apology and shove it up your ass,” Amon snapped. He may have been fighting for his life in that cave, but he had seen the witch’s interest sway from the fey to his mate, and he’d never felt such a rush of panic and fear. Losing Elijah again was not an option.

“Take me back to the apartment,” he ordered, “and then I want you out of our lives.”

Rax’s eyes flickered dangerously. “I’ll take you back, but I will not just disappear. And even if I wanted to, I think our mates are friends now and we’ll have to deal with that.”

Amon snarled and stomped over to the other demon. “Then _you_ stay away,” he ordered. 

Rax slapped his hand on the demon’s arm, sinking in his claws, and traced them back to the apartment.

...

Jake stepped back into the bedroom and took a moment to compose himself and clean up his neck. It was healing, albeit it was a little bruised and sore. He sat down on the bed, looking at his reflection in an antique mirror that was leaning against the bedroom wall. The color had returned to his face, and he was warm with the magic he had taken from Rax. He tilted his head, looking at the marks on his neck. If this is what it took for his mate to heal and be strong, then it was something he could easily do again. And it wasn’t that big of a deal, was it? He hadn’t been lying when he said that Cinder was his best friend, though the vampire had never drank his blood, but he had seen the half-vampire do it before. 

He hummed and pushed his bangs out of his eyes before he turned to Elijah.

It was about nine in the morning, so he didn’t feel too guilty when he woke the halfling with a gentle touch.

“Hngh?” Elijah gasped as he lifted his head from the pillow.

“Just me,” Jake laughed. “Sorry to wake you, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. And thank you for your help last night.”

With a yawn Elijah sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Don’t worry—“

There was a crash and a snarl from the other room, which shook the floor. For a second the two just sat there, eyes wide and locked on the door, waiting for someone to burst through the wall and attack them, before they heard Rax yell, followed by a rush of magic. Jake felt his mate’s magic burst and he leaped off the bed and out the door to the living room, only to find it empty.

“Where the hell did they go?” Jake asked.

Elijah rubbed his forehead as he yawned and stepped around him. The blankets they had used to cover the two alpha demons were thrown around the living room and there were bandages everywhere. Thankfully nothing was broken. “Sounded like they were fighting.” 

“Why?” Jake asked, even though he had an idea. He leaned down and started to pick up dirty bandages and went to throw them away.

“Who knows,” Elijah sighed. He looked at the blankets and wondered if he could wash them, or if it would be easier to just throw them out and buy new ones. But he realized very quickly he was far too tired, and absolutely too under-caffeinated, to make any decisions or do anything. He looked to the kitchen, which was still a mess from their crafting last night. 

With another yawn he turned around and found a pen and paper. He scribbled a note before turning to Jake, “Let’s go get breakfast while they beat each other up.”

“Are you serious?” Jake asked from the kitchen, where he had been wondering where to start cleaning up.

“Just the place down the street,” he said as he went to dress. He offered his closet to Jake, who picked out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, who pulled a brightly colored button-up over the top because the halfling’s clothing fit him more snugly than his oversized pajamas. “After last night, we could both use something better than Eggos and old bananas.”

Jake smiled as he pulled on a pair of shoes. “I can’t argue with you,” he said. He was starting to get a headache, and he didn’t know if it was from the stress of worrying about Rax, or from happened in the cave, or the magic he had used last night. It was probably a mixture of all of the above. He needed fresh food and lots of sunshine. Without his glamour would be better, but he didn’t dare step out in the human world looking the way he did.

Elijah grabbed his hand and they left the apartment and headed outside. The morning was cool and sunny, perfect for them both. Jake tilted his head up to the sun, soaking it in and letting it recharge his inner battery. At the cafe they asked for a table outside in the sun, and sat mulling over the menu for a few minutes before ordering.

Jake sipped his mimosa and snacked on freshly cut fruit as they waited for the rest of their food. “You’re being way too nice to me.”

“No I’m not,” Elijah laughed as he stirred his tea. “I meant what I said. I like you. And I don’t have many friends in this world yet. I know lots of people, but I don’t exactly like a lot of them. Even my mother’s people aren’t too thrilled with me being alive. Except for Bree.”

Jake frowned. “Why does that sound so familiar.”

“Do you know her? Tan skin, fire hair, can be a bitch but is actually really fun?”

“Yeah! I met her the other night at a bar. She was with a friend of mine. Small world.”

“Uncountable worlds, hells and dimensions and yet we’re all connected,” he said with a thoughtful smile. “It shouldn’t make sense or be possible, but I think we both know that’s not true.”

Jake rubbed the bite on his neck. “The All Tree has her roots wrapped around all of us. Inside her, we’re all connected.”

Elijah nodded. “Storm demons don’t have fated mates, which I’m sure you know, but we were drawn together for three years before we found each other. The only way to explain it is all of us being connected.”

Jake rested his chin in his hand. “Three years? What happened when you finally met?”

He laughs. “It’s not the sweet story you’re expecting. He kidnapped me.”

“I’m not surprised at all, but why the hell did he do that?”

“Well, we had no idea what I was or why he wanted me. I still thought I was human, had no real idea that Otherkin existed, and was just flat-out terrified of this massive angry man who looked like he didn’t know if he wanted to fuck me or kill me,” he said as he sipped his tea. “It’s a much longer story but it all worked out in the end. What about the two of you?”

Jake hummed. “He picked me up at a bar for a one night stand. We were having a great time, but then he bit me and everything… changed. My life changed all over again.”

“How did you feel about that?” Elijah asked.

He sighed. “I was mad at first, really mad. And confused and scared. I’m from this world, I know demons and mates and Fate, but fey don’t have that. But it wasn’t that that made me upset, I had hidden so long as human that I didn’t want to lose it all.”

“And now?”

Jake smiled and winked. “He’s growing on me.”

The waiter arrived with their order then and they paused their conversation. Elijah had ordered scrambled eggs with cheese and onion, with a yogurt parfait and a thick slice of heavy wheat bread. The were assorted jams and honey for him to add to the bread. Jake had ordered a large waffle with more fruit, scrambled eggs mixed with cheese and bacon, and a heavy cinnamon roll covered in icing. He bit into the cinnamon roll first.

After a few minutes, however, he was looking back toward Elijah’s apartment.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Elijah said as he ate a spoonful of yogurt and granola. 

“They’re probably fighting,” Jake said as he added more syrup to his waffle. 

Elijah didn’t doubt that at all. Amon was extremely protective of him, to the point that Elijah had put the large demon in his place more than once. He couldn’t be too angry with the alpha for being that way, he knew that his temporary death had shaken the demon down to his very core. Amon sometimes woke muttering his name and shouting, and Elijah knew what he was having nightmares about, whether he admitted to it or not. 

“They’ll be fine,” he repeated quietly as he sipped his tea. 

…

“Where are they?” Rax asked as he picked up the tattered remains of his clothing. He was going to have to trace home to change, unless he wanted to walk about Ironwood buck-naked; it wasn’t ideal, and there would be staring and police involvement.

Amon, however, had clothes in the apartment and went to change when he saw that his mate was gone. First he stopped at the bed, which was still warm and smelled sweetly of his mate, and then went to change. He pulled on jeans that hugged his legs, heavy boots, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. He stomped through the apartment, ignoring Rax, and found a note on the counter with Elijah’s handwriting.

_“Went to get breakfast. Don’t kill each other. Love you.”_

“They’re down the street getting breakfast,” he explained, knowing exactly where Elijah would go for brunch.

However Rax wasn’t listening, he was watching. He saw the way the demon’s usual harsh expression softened when reading the note, the way his hands gently held the paper. There was a small smile on his face, and his entire posture relaxed and his tail wrapped around his leg.

_He really does love him. It’s not just Fate tying them together,_ he realized with a cold shock. He looked around before coming to a decision. “I have something I have to do. Let Jake know l be back as soon as I can.”

Amon frowned when the other demon traced away. “Whatever,” he growled before calling his glamour and leaving the apartment.  
His mate’s scent was easy to find and he followed it like a lifeline to the outdoor seating of the cafe down the street that they had had more lunches at than any other place in the city. He stepped easily over the black cast iron barrier and walked over to the table where the two men sat, eating and talking quietly.

“You didn’t kill Rax, did you?” Elijah asked as he sat up and stared at his mate. His glamour didn’t hide the fact that Amon had a bruising eye. His hair was messy, the braids were frayed and he would have to sit with and redo later after Amon washed up. He reached over to touch his slightly swollen lip.

“No,” he said after sitting down. He leaned into the halfling’s gentle touch, and when Elijah offered him a spoonful of yogurt he leaned in closer to eat it. “He said he had something to do.”

Jake swallowed hard. “It wasn’t something stupid, was it?” 

“Probably,” Amon said as he looked at him. With his glamour Jake looked very different and he found he hated his human look almost as much as Elijah’s. Fey and Valkyrie were not meant to have such dull eyes and rounded ears. He frowned, remembering last night in the cave, the way the witch had gone after the fey, commenting on his taste. His stomach twisted into knots as he thought of the horror they young fey had gone through, being tortured, having his magic pulled out of him, and possibly being eaten off of while alive. He swallowed down sickness and anger and reached for a strawberry.

“If he went after Meg alone—“ he started as he searched his pockets for his phone, before remembering these weren’t his pants and that he didn’t have a phone anymore. He fidgeted anxiously. “You don’t think he did, do you?”

“He’s stupid, but I don’t think he’s that stupid,” Rax said as he reached for a chunk of pineapple. He frowned at Elijah’s plate of food. “You didn’t order any bacon?”

“Order your own breakfast,” Elijah said as he tried to keep the man from eating anymore of his food. “Why were you two fighting?”

Amon glanced at Jake who was pushing the food around on his plate with his fork. “You almost died last night.”

“No, that was you,” Elijah pointed out as he remembered seeing the vines attempting to cut off the demon’s head. He reached up and slid his fingers along the man’s neck. It was healed, Jake’s magic had done the trick well, but he would be seeing that scene in his nightmares for the rest of his life. 

He looked at Jake, who was looking slightly green from what he guessed was worry and guilt. “But none of us did die, so let’s finish eating and then we’ll figure out the next step in all of this, okay?”

Amon opened his mouth to argue, but Elijah’s foot stomping on his own shut him up. He looked at Jake with a frown before he pushed the fey’s plate closer to him. “You used a lot of energy last night,” he reminded him. “So eat.”

Jake scowled at the demon, and may have told him off if it wasn’t for that fact that he was right. He rubbed his head before picking up his fork and digging into the rest of his food. Elijah caved and let Amon finish off his omelette while he filled up on fruit. 

After they finished the three went back to the apartment to clean up. Dirty bandages and clothing were disposed of in garbage bags, Elijah did the dishes while Jake cleaned up all the ingredients they had used last night to make the healing salve. He then swept the floor and Elijah wiped down the counters, and went around the house to clean up anywhere else he found blood. Amon took out the garbage and then showered, because as Elijah pointed out, he may be in clean clothes but he was in fact, not clean.

Amon sat on the floor with Elijah on the sofa behind him, letting the halfling brush and then begin to re-braid his hair. His eyes never left Jake, who now that the cleaning was done, was starting to grow anxious again and couldn’t seem to sit still.

“Maybe you should sit down,” Amon suggested as the fey continued to pace in front of the open windows.

“No, I’m fine,” Jake insisted as he continued to walk. But he was in fact, not okay, he was starting to sweat and his heart was hammering. He couldn’t contact Rax, he couldn’t even get back to the house! He couldn’t trace, and he had no enchanted key, and because of the wards, even Elijah couldn’t bring him home through his own mirrors. He was stuck here.

He could always go back to his apartment to wait, but if Rax traced back here and didn’t find him, then he might panic, possibly even attack Amon again. No, he was going to have to wait here. Neither Elijah or Amon seemed bothered by it, other than being concerned with his constant pacing, but he couldn’t help it. 

He stopped and picked up Rax’s phone and wallet, which he had left behind after being stripped of his filthy clothing. He opened it, not sure what he was hoping to find, and pulled on a simple white card with a black star on it. He frowned and turned it over.

Jake finally stopped pacing and stood at the window. _Rax, don’t do anything stupid._

…

Rax was doing something very stupid. He knew it was stupid as he stomped up to the front door of Club Envy. He had stopped at home to dress and arm himself, and now he stopped just outside the door as something he never felt before stabbed at him.

He had never been afraid during a hunt before. He loved every second of pursuing his prey, the chase and the hunt, and the inevitable victory where he collected a head followed up by his bounty. But right now he felt anxiety swirling around inside him, making him take a moment and pause from storming the club and cutting off the goblin’s fucking head.

All because of Jake. He had left his mate behind, and now he was putting himself in a very dangerous situation, which he might not walk away from if things went downhill fast. If he died here, Jake would be alone in the world again. Would he simply go back to living his hidden human life? How long until Meg found him? Was she out there hunting for him right now? And about Elijah and Amon? If he let Meg get away, then neither would be safe until she was dead.

With a growl in his chest, Rax walked into the club. This time of day the place was quiet. There weren’t swarms of people mobbing the dance floor, the bar was empty with only a single bartender taking inventory, and the music overhead was quiet compared to what would be blasting during the night. He crossed the floor to the bar, scowling at the bartender.

She turned to look at him, glamour slipping ever so slightly to reveal rainbow eyes. She frowned at him. “You’re a little early for happy hour, honey.”

“I need to speak with Novo,” Rax said.

The woman turned to frown at him. “Do you think you can walk in here and demand things like that?”

“He hired me to bring him a head,” Rax growled.

“Do you have it?”

“Novo hired me, not you,” Rax said. “Tell him I’m here.”

She curled her lip in distaste before dropping the clipboard and turning on a sharp heel and walking. Rax sat down to wait, tapping his claws on the flawless marble countertop. A few minutes later he heard the clip of heels and the slow tap of a cane on the equally flawless flooring. He turned as Lord Novo approached him, followed by the woman.

Novo frowned. “I don’t see the head I hired you to bring me,” the goblin berated.

Rax turned, leaning his elbows back on the bar. “I don’t have it.”

The man clucked his tongue in anger. “Your time is nearly up, demon. I expect that head!”

“Plans have changed,” Rax said as he dropped his glamour. He casually stepped away from the bar. “I’ve come to collect your head instead.”

The man dropped his glamour, revealing a goblin in a rich suit, with glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth. “You stupid demon,” he growled. “Do you really think that you can walk into my club and simply take my head?”

Rax frowned. Behind him the woman had also dropped her glamour, but she wasn’t a dazzling fey. She was ragged, worn, with sink hanging off her bones and long, twisted, wet hair. Her clothing was in ribbons and there was an ugly, charred hole in her chest. Rax took a half-step back as she grabbed the goblin in a headlock.

“Meg!” Novo snarled as the witch wrestled him back. “You bitch! Now, demon, take her head!”

Rax reached for his sword, going to do just that, only to find his sheath empty. He looked up in surprise as the witch used his sword to slice the goblin’s head off. Meg lifted the decapitated head up by one long, tattered ear and snarled, showing her teeth.

“Couldn’t have him stopping me from collecting my favorite toys,” Meg said as she kicked the body to the side. Her eyes, dark and glowing, swept over the demon in front of her. “Now you’re going to help me find them.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind!” he snapped before he--

He couldn’t trace.

He felt his breath knocked from his lungs and he lurched forward, hand on his chest. “Witch--”

“You aren’t going anywhere,” Meg purred as she dropped the goblin’s head. “We’re not done yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! Here's a treat for you that's been sitting around on my computer for weeks.


	7. An Assortment of Magics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long and ended up so short. I've been having some creative issues with this story (obviously.) Thanks for being so patient with me! I really appreciate all of you. xoxo

When Jake woke it was a little past nine in the morning.

The sun was shining, the air was humid, birds were singing, and his mate wasn’t back yet.

He sat up, rubbing at his eyes as he looked around the quiet apartment. On the small dining table in the corner was a pile of enchanted chains. He stood and went over to them. He could feel them thrumming with magical energy.

Strong enough to catch a witch.

Jake suddenly started to pat down his pockets, when finding them empty he went to the pile of personal items that were his and Rax’s. There was a crumpled napkin, and when he unfolded it, he saw that it was Cinder’s phone number.

He chewed his lip as he picked up Rax’s phone and dialed the number. After a few rings he was greeted with a grumpy growl.

“Cinder?” He asked hopefully.

“Jake?” The reply was much less tired and grumpy. “Hey!”

He exhaled shakily. He picked up the strange business card again, turning it over. “I need your help. Do you know Edwina the Seer?”

“She’s a witch,” Cinder said, “she claims she can see the present but not the past or the future, whatever that means.”

He frowned. “Rax is missing, and her card was in his wallet. I think she can help me find him. But I don’t know where to look for her.”

“Wait, wait,” Cinder said, sounding much more awake now. “Your mate is missing? What happened?”

He didn’t want to wake the two in the bedroom, so he went to sit on the balcony. He left his glamour down and sat in the sunlight, soaking it up, as he started to tell Cinder everything that happened with Meg, finishing up with his mate’s disappearance.

Cinder, who had remained quiet throughout, cursed loudly. “Why didn’t you call me! I would have helped you!”

“I felt bad enough dragging Elijah and Amon into it,” he said. “And nearly got them both killed. I couldn’t do that to you also, Cinder.”

There was an irritated growl, followed with a huff. “But you will call me next time you decide to do something so stupid, right?”

“Calling you now, aren’t I?” He replied. He felt a muscle spasm in his shoulders where his wings used to be. “I can’t trace. I need your help.”

“Of course I’ll help you,” he sighed. “Where are you?”

“Ironwood, but it’s morning here.”

“And I suppose it’s a sunny day?”

“Very. But I can meet you somewhere,” he suggested. “Any haunts you like to visit?”

Cinder gave him directions to an Otherkin lounge and Jake promised to meet him there as soon as he could. He then pulled on his shoes and, after some hesitation, wrote a note to Elijah explaining what he was going and for him not to worry. Finally he grabbed the enchanted chains and stuffed them in a backpack.

He was just going to leave when the bedroom door opening and closed quietly and Amon stood staring at him.

Jake frowned as he tried to come up with something to say, but the Storm demon said, “You call us if you need anything.”

It was probably the nicest thing the demon would ever say to him. He promised and quickly left, not wanting to face the halfling if he were to wake. He knew that Elijah would never let him go off on his like this, and would insist on helping, which would only put him and Amon in even more danger.

Having no money he skipped public transport and walked. The day was warm and sunny and, while he had his glamour applied, he did loosen it ever so slightly so he could soak up as much sun as he could. He also reached out with his magic, feeling for Rax’s. The bonds that connected them were still there, but something was blocking him from using more than a trickle of Rax’s magic. 

His mate was still alive, but something was definitely wrong.

It took him longer than expected to reach the Goldmine Lounge, and almost just as long to get in. The vampire lounge was not welcoming to anyone who wasn’t a vampire and wasn’t there as a chalice.

“No one is drinking from me,” Jake growled at the massive berserker bouncer. “I’m meeting a friend.”

“Forget it,” the man rumbled.

He stepped away before he did something really stupid, like try to fight the massive man, and pulled out his cell phone and called Cinder.

“Let me guess, you’re stuck outside.”

“Yeah. Get out here.”

He shoved the phone back into his pocket and waited until the door opened and something was hissed at the bouncer. The berserker bristled somewhat before he stepped to the side and let Jake pass.

Jake dropped his glamour once he was inside. Cinder was leaning against the bar, watching him closely. The lounge was dark inside, lit by candles and low red lights behind the bar. It smelled like booze and blood; lots of blood. The atmosphere was quiet, but the heavy scent of arousal and echoes of moans could be heard of one listened past the music and conversations.

Cinder was dressed in black and leather and looked about as handsome as he possibly could. The vampire halfbreed was walking temptation, able to seduce anyone he wanted. He had dyed his long hair back to black and had it pulled up in a high ponytail, secured with a red ribbon. But his beautiful yet fierce expression softened when he saw the anxiety on the fae’s scarred face.

“Come with me,” Cinder said as he took Jake’s hand and lead him to the back. The rooms here were rented by the hour, and Cinder tossed a couple coins at the man behind the bar, before leading Jake inside. 

There was a large, curved plush red sofa and a mini refrigerator in the corner with wine glasses on top. The lighting was low and the music quiet enough to not be distracting but enough to silence the world outside the door.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Cinder asked as they sat down.

Jake ran his hand through his messy hair. “Rax went missing. I know he’s still alive, I can feel our bond, but something is blocking me. I can’t latch on to him or even borrow his magic. It’s like… a door was closed.”

Cinder frowned. Jake was pale and the stress was making his shimmer dull. He rubbed his back and could feel the scars from where the fae’s wings had been removed.

“This witch,” he said as he struggled to control his anger, “she’s the one who took your wings?”

Jake frowned at the conversation change. “This isn’t about me. This is about finding Rax.”

Cinder reaches out with his own magic, but it was dark and cold and retreated at first contact with the summer fae’s own bright magic. But it was dim, so very dim, and the connection with his demon-mate even more frayed.

“Tell me.”

Jake sighed. “Yes. She took my wings, she cut me, she ate my flesh. It’s a whole big bag of fuckery. But this isn’t about me, this is about finding Rax.”

To Jake this always about his mate, but Cinder didn’t care about the big red demon beyond the fact that made Jake happy, for Cinder this was about hunting a witch who had scarred and traumatized his friend. He would go along, and he would help, but this was all about vengeance for the vampire.

“Edwina the Seer has a shop on the west side of the city. She does tarot card readings and palm readings. Been there a couple times with friends. She’s an interesting witch.”

“So you can trace us there?”

“No problem,” he said. “Is there anyone else you want to contact before we go? Anyone else who can help?”

“Well… there’s Mordichai—“

“Nope,” Cinder hissed. “Out of the question.”

“Then no one,” Jake said. He felt a wave of dizziness, sourcing from bond. Rax needed him, right this second. “Hurray—“

Cinder grasp his arm and traced them to the front stoop of the shop. Sunlight was pouring in and the vampire let out a yelp and rushed through the door, which was unlocked even though there was a closed sign hanging in the window.

“Are you okay?” Jake asked worriedly as he followed inside.

“I’m fine,” Cinder bristled as he rubbed his arm. The skin was red but the burn hadn’t been that bad, it had caught him by surprise. “Most halfbreeds get immunity to sunlight. But not me.”

Cinder patted his shoulder before he raised his head and looked around. The shop was small, with lots of lavish, brightly colored tapestries hanging on the walls and over windows. A crystal chandelier hung overheat, twinkling with candlelight. There were shelves of plants, relics and totems, piles of books and jars filled with bones and preserved animals.

There were even a pair of fae wings preserved inside a large glass box.

Jake felt cold rush through this body, but before he could say anything, a woman called out to him, “They're fake.”

Jake turned as a woman stepped through a hidden doorway to greet them. She was taller than himself, with rich dark brown hair and darker skin, and white eyes. She was beautiful, and wore a long skirt and a tight tank top that read “crafty bitch” across the chest; the letter ‘a’ had been replaced with a pentagram. “Edwina?” He asked.

“The very one,”she said as she stepped closer to him. She moved her hand in front of him face and he felt a tingle through his aura. He resisted the urge to step back. “Your green light is dim, but not lost.”

Jake frowned puzzlingly before shaking his head. “My mate, Rax—“

“The big bad witch got him,” Edwina said before she touched Jake’s face, tracing the scar with her fingers. “She’ll eat him up.”

Jake’s stomach churned with sickness. “He had your card. Please will you help me? I’ll give you an—“

Her hand clamped over his mouth. “Do not promise that to anyone,” she warned. She lowers her hand and continued, “And I will help you regardless.”

Cinder stepped forward. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re not the only one that witch stole from,” Edwina said. “I once had the gift of sight. I once had a younger sister. She would be your age, had she not lost her heart to that god forsaken crone. I want her head on a pike as much as you do.”

The lights in the room had dimmed and a furious energy was swirling around the clairvoyant. Jake nodded, because there was no way to convince her otherwise. He asked, “Where are they?”

“I cannot see it,” Edwina said. 

Cinder threw his arms up. “So what the fuck are we supposed to do!?”

The witch clicked her tongue at him. “We bring your mate here, and the witch will hunt us down.”

“Are you craz—“

“We can bring Rax here?” Jake interrupted with disbelief. “How!?”

Edwina cupped Jake’s face. “Your connection is strong, your mate bond true,” she said as she slid her hands down over his neck and touched the scar there. “Your blood runs through his veins, singing with magic. He loves you more than his own life. He’ll give it to keep you safe.”

Jake shuddered. “I love him.” _But have I told him? What if I don’t get another chance? Will I be screaming it at his dead body?_

The woman turned and continued, “We aren’t bringing him here exactly. We need to bring him somewhere that we can help him, and then fight her.”

“There’s some abandoned warehouses on the other side of town,” Cinder said. “I was at one just last week. Big and open, lots of places for us to hide.”

“Why were you there?” Jake asked as he followed the witch.

“For a rave, duh,” Cinder said with a smile. “Met and fed off this sexy fucking naga. He had a nice cock, too.”

Jake blushed. “You didn’t…”

“We only live once,” Cinder pointed out. “I wanted to see what it felt like—“

“Boys,” Edwina said with a sigh, “can we focus?”

“Yes, sorry,” Jake said quickly. “So do we go to the warehouse? Or did you have another place in mind?” Anxiety was starting to really rush through him and he felt a horrible ache in the center of his chest. The bond between him and Rax was flickering and the pain it started to cause was making every one of his scars ache.

Meg had Rax. What was she doing to him? 

_I don’t think about it—_

“Can we hurry?” Jake said as he watched the witch go around the room, throwing assorted vials and dried plants and roots in a back. 

“Jake?” Cinder asked worriedly.

He touched his hand to his first and dug his nails in until it hurt. “I just have this feeling that he’s hurt,” Jake explained as another wave of anxiety washed through him. “Of course he’s hurt--Meg is horrible, she’s a monster, goddess knows what she’s doing to him. All of this is my fault--If I hadn’t completed the bond between us, then--”

“Then what?” Edwina interrupted as she grabbed a jar that had a dead toad in it. “Then he would be safe? He would be far away? You silly fae, he would be in danger anyway, he was hunting that hag before he met you, and if you had not completed the bond, he would be in more excruciating pain that he is in now. The separation from you in this moment causes him discomfort, but had you ran away from him and not completed the mate bond, he would be a maniac; he would be an alpha who failed to keep their mate, and that is worse than any torture the witch may do to him.”

Jake’s lower lip trembled and he made a distressed sound. “Please, can we hurry?”

“We are,” the witch promised. “Vampire, where is this warehouse?”

“I can trace us there.”

“Then let’s go,” she said as she swung the bag over her shoulder. “We can’t waste anymore time.”

…

There were vines wrapped around his arms, his stomach, legs and horns. He was kneeling on the cold floor in one of the club’s bathrooms, and had been here for the last couple of hours. The lights were off, but he could see just fine in the dark, and he frowned when he saw the witch approaching him with a long knife. 

She had bitten him earlier, ripping a hunk of flesh out of his shoulder and groaning in ecstasy. When she tasted Jake’s blood mixed with his own, the fae’s weak magic alive against his harsher blood magic, she had let out a shrill sound of joy. “I can taste him in you,” Meg had said as she sank her claws into his neck and loomed close to his face. “His magic, his blood, he tastes so good. Did he taste like life to you, demon, when you fed upon him?”

Rax snarled, his sharp teeth snapping near her face before she forced his head back. “I never fed off him, bitch!”

“His blood is in your blood,” Meg taunted. “You feed off his life force as much as I have. You love his taste, he’s so sweet, so alive. And his magic, gods his magic, you feel it against your own, don’t you?” She slid one withered hand, the one with the missing fingers, down over his stomach and towards his groin. “When you mate him, do you also drink off him? Orgasmic, isn’t it?”

Rax’s stomach tighten and his entire body tensed with repulsion. “Get your hands off me, you fucking hag--”

She laughed, the sound echoing, and grabbed him by his hair. “If I fuck you, will I taste the fae’s life inside you?”

“Why do you want him so fucking bad?” Rax growled. “You’ve killed, what, hundreds? What’s so special about my mate?”

“Can’t you feel it, brute, or are you that stupid?” she said as she stepped back. She picked up a carving knife, one she had used on the fae many years ago. “His green magic is _life_ magic. It’s the most powerful kind of fae magic there is, and is very rare. With it I can do anything. I can become anyone. I twist it, I change it into my own.”

_But it’s not completely yours,_ Rax thought. He’d seen Jake take his magic back, the way he had cleansed it and used it for himself. She may still have his magic, she may have corrupted it, but it wasn’t completely her’s, and this much as obvious by the fact that she was not healing properly. She was still missing fingers from Elijah’s sword, and the gaping hole in her chest from the Valkyrie’s lightning was still there, and while the flesh was no longer charred, it was starting to puss and swell with infection.

Meg started to cut him, singing beneath her breath as she did. The knife twisted into his chest as she carved into him, and her tongue followed, licking up blood and dipping into the wounds. The vines tightened as he snarled and pulled against him, but he was unable to move them.

However, he did feel something...else. He closed his eyes, doing his damndest to block out the pain and the sickening feel of the witch’s tongue and hands sliding along his wet chest and stomach. What he felt was… Jake. His green magic, his life magic, inside the vines that held him, pulsing inside the witch. He reached out with his magic, pressing against the vines, praying that the magic, while no longer connected to Jake, recognized him--

Meg fell to the floor with a yell, the knife sliding away from her hand. She scooted away, eyes wide and deranged, hand clutching at the opening where her heart was. She hissed and snarled. “What did you do!”

The vines, while not releasing him, had loosened, and he could feel the magic against his own. He sneered.

Meg stood and reached out with her hand. “This is my magic now, and you will not turn it against me!”

Vines wrapped around his neck, squeezing harder and harder until blackness start to spot his vision. She had picked the knife back up, was approaching him. But that was fine, he let the blackness swallow him, welcomed it, and thought only of his mate.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr @softwolffeathers and Twitter @wolffeathers83 xoxo


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